Damnation
by Mr. Havik
Summary: Post Armageddon - A final confrontation with the very thing that created them; the One Being. As heroes, will they be able to fight against reality and still preserve their humanity? Hurrdy hurr hurr, new chap up.
1. Prologue

**IMPORTANT!** This is rated M for a reason. Blood, gore, violence, heavy swearing, sexual content, nudity and disturbing imagery will be apparent as the story progresses. Opinions expressed by characters do not reflect those of the author. All events, places, religions and characters are fictitious unless otherwise or when specified at the beginning or end of the chapter. DAMN DID THAT SOUND FANCY!

Disclaimer: This disclaimer applies to the entire story which is why I won't pop up the same fucking overused line for every chapter – I don't own Mortal Kombat.

* * *

_**Mortal Kombat: Damnation**_

_**By Mr. Havik**_

* * *

Prologue

_I am Scorpion._

_It is the name my demons have given me._

_What I know about myself is already too scarce, so I must rely on what I am told. There are many liars out there and the little semblance of my existence they have explained to me is all but a grand fabrication._

_I can now only believe in what I know is true – what I have seen, felt and endured. I can only believe in what my memory provides: I may have been a man, murdered on account of some petty feud between differing definitions of honor._

_I could not have had any honor. If I were a noble man, I would not have been cast into hellfire and bear the poison of my eternal damnation. If I were a good man, the only memory of my mortal existence would not have been that of an assassin beheading me._

_Good people do not kill. Not ever._

_I was a killer and butchered like one._

_And during the final moments of my mortality, I had wished upon nothing but revenge. In the end, I had not recalled the life I was about to leave and instead let caustic hatred reign upon my mind; is that why I do not know who I am? Is it because I rejected my existence in favor of bitter retribution that I have no recollection of my identity?_

_It is not the life that my enemies have stolen from me why I must stalk every inch of land within every existent realm and claim their heads, but the name I once had that they have erased from existence._

_It is what I know – what I believe in that will release me from my torture. Exacting my own justice upon those who have wronged me will free me from my curse. I will finally attain true death and be buried with the knowledge of the man I once was._

_But still, I doubt myself._

_It is no coincidence that "Believe" is just a disguise for "Lie"._

_After all, I am not a good man. I am a killer._

_And how can I trust a killer?_

* * *

_I am Sub Zero._

_I was once Kuai Liang, named by my Masters, for when they had brought me to their secluded fortress of thieves and assassins, they had not allowed my birth-mother the time to give me a name. I was raised amongst the desolate faces of children plucked from their homes and families as well and taught nothing other than to serve and obey without question._

_They were the Lin Kuei and I would always despise them._

_I hated them for turning me into what I am now, for lying to me every second I was able to hear their impish whispers, for making me do the evils they found pleasure in, for leaving me with no choice but to hurt the only few I had ever cared for and... for doing the very same to my brother._

_My life has its tragedies, none of which I care to elaborate on and let all those painful memories resurface though I would say, in all those nightmares, I know lives are lost. It is understandable. I am a killer and I will see bloodshed, whether it is I who commits the murder or another._

_My only mistake is that I have ever believed in redemption._

_I have committed so many sins that my existence is nothing but that. No matter how much I pray to that wicked God to save me from my destruction, no matter how many lives I vow to protect and preserve, in the end there will be nothing but death._

_There is no escape for monsters like myself. We can bring nothing but sorrow regardless of how much we try to be more human. And like such cursed monsters, I must dwell in complete seclusion to keep myself from causing harm._

_They tell me it is insanity. They, who do not see the enraged ghosts of my victims clinging onto every inch of my decaying body, worry for me. They want to hear my laugh, see me amidst friends... there is no way of warding them off but to hiss at them from the shrouding darkness of my foreboding cave._

_They tell me I would fall. They tell me I would fall from such great heights that I would be a mere stain upon the earth below. They say it is the most dangerous of madness, the worst in its form. It will be silent, eating away at me from the inside until there is nothing left. Nothing but a shell._

_And then it will surface, slowly unbinding all which holds me together._

_They say I will be its most tragic victim for I will be the only bearer of its burden. There will be no one to share my sorrow with, no one to derive comfort from._

_The small few that I had the courage to invest my faith in were traitors anyway._

_And long since dead._

_They warn me that the madness will creep into every organ, ever blood vessel, every bone in my body and I will remain resistant to it, ignorant that to succumb to it would be to save myself from the pain._

_They weep that I am not happy, but that I choose to be happy and am nothing more than a man made of flesh and bones. I was born mortal and so I will be vulnerable to all harm let it be disease, lunacy, weapon or blow._

_They weep. They tell me I need to be saved but they do not understand it._

_They do not know that there was never any redemption for me._

* * *

_I am Kitana._

_When I had been given that name, it had no meaning to begin with. I was set upon the path He had carved for me. The knowledge of my journey as well as how I overcame the distance were to define me, define my name. This is reason enough why "Kitana" is simply just another word for all things wrong._

_From the moment I was born and endowed a hollow name till the moment I would die carrying the tarnished worth my actions had gained for myself, everything is, has been and always will be wrong._

_And in all honesty, I enjoy reveling in this truth._

_I am wrong and will do wrong. That is the only 'right' I can do._

_But the world is ignorant._

_It does not understand me, it does not want to know why I am forced to choose to be wrong. There was no such thing as a 'righteous' path – that choice had been taken away from me when the Gods birthed me in the House of Shao Kahn. My way has been set and there is nothing that can be done to change course. I have done too much, lived too long to be able to turn back. I cannot do anything more than to continue. It is the only 'right' I can do._

_The names of my fathers may change, the monikers of the gods may change, the titles of my greatest and most despicable conquests may change but in the end I am always Kitana. I am always wrong._

_The world scowls as I claim the throne, the Crown of Shao Kahn placed upon it in bitter memory of the terror He brought to the realms._

_But can they not see it? Can they not see that He was wrong? That to be Himself, to be what His name defined Him to be, was the only 'right' He could do? It was His purpose without choice._

_It is mine as well._

_Kahn's legacy lives._

* * *

A/N: I would like to thank **Interesting1 **for the comprehensive review and pointing out the inconsistencies in the prose. Though I've completely re-written this chapter in favour of some first-person insight on character personalities rather than the third-person perspective predetermining how the audience should feel about them, I am still wholeheartedly grateful for his/her opinion on the previous version.


	2. Abandoned

**Part One**

**The Birth of Truth**

* * *

Chapter One: Abandoned

"I am not blaming you," she whispered. "Time is not in our control, neither is our fate."

The wind began to blow more gently now, as if it wanted her voice to be heard. Jade, nonetheless failed to regard the kindness of nature upon her; too deep in thought and grief to take note of the world around her. Only one thing remained the focus of her attention for the moment: Kitana...

She received no answer, and she did not expect one either. The dead do not possess the ability to speak, yet she could somehow feel the woe of her queen emit from her grave. It was a strange occurrence she could not explain. What she experienced was something far beyond the reach of her knowledge, but despite this, she never felt afraid. For all she knew, this was her bond with her loved ones that made this possible. She could speak the language her dead queen spoke through the strength of her connections. And she knew that, both, the living and the dead, understood that two such bonds, the more powerful of them, had come undone. The bonds of a daughter and a dear friend...

"But, maybe, death is a blessing..." she continued. "If you were alive today, you would have wept with sorrow."

Jade did not want to leave the tomb. She felt comfortable here, strangely enough, beside the lain body of Sindel. She was happiest when near her, because she knew her queen consoled her through her silence. Whenever the thought of her friend raided her conscious, she fell into turmoil. As such, she constantly reminded herself that she was not her friend no more, but a woman to whom she was alien with. That maybe is the reason why she chose to be in the presence of Sindel. Because she provided her with the pleasant memories of the kind of human Kitana once was. Because she could feel brave when she thought about her...

The dark skinned warrior brushed a lock from her face. What happened to Kitana that changed her into the entity she is now? She had become just too difficult to understand, to read. She had become too isolated from her life. The last time she visited her mother's grave was when at her cremation. Since then, she never looked back at her past. Jade decided this the reason of her sudden metamorphosis. Pain and loss were the culprits of her new, hatred-ridden life. Maybe, death was never the blessing she thought it was, if it involved the suffering of those you love. She decided, when she would die, she would surely not be missed.

"Frustrated are you?" questioned a voice she did not recognise. A tall male walked up from behind her and stood at her side, saving her the chance from turning around to look. She glanced up at his wise yet young face. The wind was gentler now, yet, the man's long, white braid swayed softly in the quiet still, as if, the wind itself decided to cease blowing across the plains and toy with his hair. His eyes were colourless and emitted a hazy glow, calmness of mind and serenity of his being present in every form of expression he possessed. She felt she knew him.

"Raiden?" she called to him, still doubtful of her perception that this was the man she believed him to be. He seemed to be the Thunder God, yet, it was just something she felt in his nature that he was someone else.

"I am not the one you confuse me with," he said; the breeze startled at his speech. Jade turned her gaze to the ground, feeling less curious than she was before.

"Then claim your identity," she told him so.

"I maybe a stranger," he replied. The wind blew harder every time he spoke. She became aware of the behaviour of the world to this man's presence, and figured that he must be a very powerful and knowledgeable being indeed, possibly equal to Raiden. She felt slightly weaker in his company.

"You speak in riddles," she pointed out the obvious, giving the new comer a hint at her failure to conceive his answer. She was now deeply afraid once this realisation became prominent to her, yet she tried her best to seem as composed as she possibly could. But his staunch and stout figure that towered beside her made her resolve slightly waver. The essence of purity that enveloped his being, however, kept her from acting rashly.

"I speak what is true," he answered clearly. He now stared down at her. Jade tried to avoid looking into his eyes. She was fearful what she might see.

After a moment's pause, he said, "You may not know who I am."

She took a few steps away from him as the playful wind around him suddenly became intense and made it rather difficult for her to breath. She believed she was a safe distance from him and could easily look into his eyes. She felt confident now...

"I wish to speak to the ruler of this realm..." he stated blankly.

Jade shook her head. "You cannot expect to be shown to the Empress if you say so," she retorted, though keeping a respectful tone of voice.

"Why? Is she that busy?"

"Indeed..."

He turned to look into the horizon. He was obviously frustrated at the woman's response. Nonetheless, he did find it amusing how she still claimed loyalty to a 'friend' who had long forgotten her. What a marvel! To try and preserve deteriorating bonds; he did acknowledge her determination. However, her steadfast personality did not matter to him right now. He had concerns regarding the Empress. He did hope she had not forgotten her purpose. The man decided he had tried enough to be polite to the customs of this realm. If he was not going anywhere with no proper results, he would have to then do things his own way. If Jade was not going to comply to his demands, then he would see to Kitana himself.

"Do reach the palace as quickly as possible," he told her, at which the expected response – an unfinished and puzzled "What?" - was heard before he melted into the air and ran away with the wind towards his desired location.

* * *

Scorpion failed to view Taven as the 'saviour' of the realms as most did, because he understood that the Edenian god did only little to bring change for a greater good to reality. Gone was the hope of the Elder Gods. They were fools to believe that such a weakling could actually possess the strength to enact those plans which they could not themselves. A literal mistake really, they should have been wiser to avoid entrusting all faith in one man. And this was the result of their absolute dependence on one being's actions: the tense and unstable situation the realms had now been thrust into. The six worlds were presently caught in a constant struggle for existence, though most people were unaware of the tight dilemma they are in. Ignorance really, but it was worth his amusement. Kudos to the idiot people deem their hero...

He knew better to concentrate on his motives, for the peril of the worlds and the lives of other's were not of his concern. But, every time the thought of Taven's failure crossed his mind, he could not help himself but feel satisfied. After all, it was rather ironic how he had vowed to exact revenge on the Elder Gods for their treachery, only to realise that it was quite unnecessary to interfere with their plans when their enforcer managed to do his job for him. The perfect payback... Even if he had found some way to foil their intentions, he would have never created a setback with such immense proportions as great as Taven had.

Scorpion could feel the horde nearing him. He snapped out of his thoughts and provoked a seriousness within him. It had been weeks since those Outworld pests had been at his tail, and he found it increasingly difficult to keep his calm. Everyday he could feel their numbers growing, and everyday he felt his blood pump with ferocity, a strange blood-lust about him. It was tempting to think that he would have to encounter an infinite army of ravaging, deranged Tarkata warriors; his pacing quickened as his patience gradually began to wear thin, fighting to keep a level head and prevent his emotions from acquiring control over his mind. The con of greater strength... one can never satisfy his desire to reach beyond what he has now.

They were getting nearer, a matter of several kilometres constituting the distance between their party and him. Taking a deep, composing breath, he halted his movement after days of gruelling wait and turned towards the vast, open realm. The barren lands of white sand and the discoloured sky seemed to stretch on forever, with a blurry view of the badly dissected earth pulling the sky to meet the ground and form a horizon. He couldn't, however, seek out the horde in the distance. Expecting a longer wait still, he sat down upon the hard floor of the realm, crossing his legs, keeping his gaze upon the horizon for when his eyes would meet his expected enemies.

Moments of eternal silence passed, and his patience seemed to no longer withstand the test of time. A nearly invisible hue of brown came into view, followed by a cloud of dust, increasing in size with each passing minute as they neared his resting figure. He kept his sitting posture, ready to stand and take his position against the horde when they came the right distance away from. But as he waited, and the sight of the incoming army cleared, Scorpion was stirred from his forced calm as he saw that what he believed was a swarm of Tarkata, was actually one. One Tarkatan, with what he mistook the strength of a hundred of his race, charged through the desert to challenge him. He knew only one capable of achieving such power...

Baraka...

His stomach sank with disappointment. Oh well... it will be entertaining while it would last...

* * *

"You came quicker than expected," he commented without any real consideration as Jade ran at his side, panting violently.

"Please... leave..." she huffed, coughing and gasping for air once she managed to let out those two words. Her demand, however, fell on deaf ears as he kept his stroll through corridor to corridor, turning into unknown directions with a hope that somewhere along his tread, he would come across the woman he was looking for. He quickened his pace in an attempt to shake of his pestering company, but her persistence wouldn't allow him the privilege. Nonetheless, he tried to keep his patience and accommodate her along his walk.

Jade on the other hand, took his kindness for granted and set her mind on convincing him to leave. The fact she did not want him bothering her friend was not the actual reason why she preferred he should leave, though she did fear her Empress would mind it. But what she worried about was that, this intruder, whoever he may be, was possibly a bearer of bad news. She had no evidence that this was true, whatsoever, but it was something her heart said to her. She did not want to confront sadness again, not after such beautiful years of peace. She wanted it to last longer, and the best way to remain in peace was to be ignorant of the truth, whatever it may be.

She was about to repeat her words when the man decided to halter his pace. It wasn't until she looked ahead of her that she realised the Empress, accompanied by two armed soldiers at either side, had come into their path. She could feel a satisfied grin adorn the face of the intruder. Jade's throat went dry...

Kitana, had remained occupied in a deep and serious conversation with the guardsmen until the two had arrived and was forced to end her talk there and dismiss her company. She glanced at the fatigued, dark-skinned warrior and then at the male that stood to her right, his white, yet smiling, eyes staring at her and then diverting their gaze to the bundles of texts and scrolls she cradled in her arms. She smirked, not out of happiness at his arrival, but through acknowledgement of his wisdom, once she saw he understood what the texts were for.

"Caught wind I see?" he remarked, looking up to meet her face again.

Her grin quickly faded, taking on a much stern look on her soft face. Anger did not suit her, Fujin assumed.

"Come..." she curtly ordered the god. The former smiled graciously in response and quietly started towards her, with the Empress also turning around and picking up pace, heading in the opposite direction.

"I want none to enter while we occupy the library," she announced to the other female, who had also decided to follow the two.

"See to it that my demand be fulfilled, Jade." The said green-robed woman, brought a halt to her movement, bowed in acknowledgement – a gesture that failed to capture Kitana's attention – and headed towards the mouth of the pathway, pushing the heavy doors shut.

Jade watched through the crevice which slowly narrowed her sight of the braided man and her friend. She began to desperately hope that Kitana would just turn around once, and look back at her, giving her enough proof that some form of humanity still existed in her. As the doors pulled together, she began to lose faith that she would turn back. The crack thinned to just the view of the Empress, her heavily clothed figure disappearing around a corner when the doors finally clanged shut. Her heart heaved with grief...


	3. Unveiled

Chapter Two: Unveiled

"_There's some really weird shit out there…"_

This was the concluding statement he had given during a press conference, when Briggs was questioned about suddenly renouncing his faith after his and his former Lieutenant's promotion. Of course, the entire world was not ignorant of the extremely bizarre happenings. Though the investigative team of the Special Forces Bureau was declared to be full of madmen by the President himself, around a decade and a half ago, the Government and the people began to believe the outlandish claims of the Special Forces when they witnessed and miraculously came out alive from, the sudden arrival of "foreign and/or alien influences."

The Government, however compelled to hide this from the public, could do nothing but watch as the world was thrown into discord and mayhem. Religious entities formed large public gatherings, declaring the end of the worlds and that the time to repent has come. Looting and killings by a number of unknown bodies began to carry out on a large scale, leaving many citizens dead; the scales ever increasing day by day. Terrorist groups began their invasion into the leading giants, bombing who they suspected to have incurred the wrath of God, and trying to redeem the world from destruction.

Then there was the birth of what was called the 'Happy Hour', where people, out of pure dismay would crowd into bars and liquor stores, drowning themselves in alcohol and paid love. With the current situations at hand, businesses, multinationals, monopolies and even global giants soon crumbled as workers became too inept to carry out their jobs, or even show up, and terrible losses had to be suffered with the usual looting. Eventually, the world's stock markets had crashed, and the nations of the Earth had to suffer the worst financial, physical and mental depression since the very dawn of civilization.

Demands from allied countries and the unrest of the public itself had urged the Government to take much more forceful measures to ensure strict control. Curfews, arrests without warrant and detentions without bail were executed. It was obvious that the people were going to protest. It did however, managed to calm the situation to a limited degree.

Until around the year 2006, newly promoted Colonel Jackson Briggs, and Major Sonya Blade of the Special Forces Bureau, renounced their faiths after their investigations in a "foreign, enemy country".

The public and the media suspected something much more sinister behind this. Aggression between the People and the Government began to escalate out of control, which prompted the President to take regrettable steps to stabilize the conditions and reveal the truths to the world.

In a session held at the UN court, on the sixteenth of November, year 2006, Colonel Briggs and his Major held a special press conference in the company of the President, the Minister of Defence and the leaders of the world's countries. According to their statements, the presumed apocalypse was a dreaded misunderstanding by unofficial sources. According to the investigative research material presented to the world for the first time, labelled as the 'Kahn Report', the Special Forces Bureau had confirmed the existence of inter-dimensional realms which were positive as possible threats to the safety of the Earth. Without any consent from the higher Government, the Bureau formed the Outer-world Investigation Agency to further analyse and eliminate any arising threats. During the entire ordeal, Colonel Briggs had to admit that it changed him, and the party involved, forever.

When demanded the position of the world amidst a number of other possibly existent realms that may also pose as dangers to the security and safety of the human race, C. Briggs had said that the OIA had secured an ally, and the previous threat, 'Outworld' was currently destabilized thanks to the efforts of the Special Forces Bureau, and the ally world 'Edenia'.

"But what exactly compelled you to name this as the 'Kahn Report'?" a reporter for a big-name political magazine had questioned. "Could this be your new God?"

"Oh, please no. Kahn was the opposition force within this inter-realm war, there is no possible way he could be my new religion. In fact, I am left with the confusion of what to believe and what not to believe. My experience has left me to the conclusion that there is no faith. After all I had witnessed, even the gods are not immortal."

"But sir, despite the events of the 'world merger', as you put it, in 1993, the events did not force me to give up my religion, and here you, a senior of the military force, threw yours away so easily."

Briggs smiled, easily noting the mock tone of the inquirer's voice.

"Son," he said. His fingers circled at the edge of the podium, easing him into the microphone; in a deep and low voice, part serious and part smiling, stated, "There's some really weird shit out there…"

Two years after the conference, at the anniversary of the "Kahn Report", which changed the outlook of the world all so suddenly, C. Briggs met up with fate again.

At the dispense of the Government, the Special Forces Bureau was allowed to continue its developments and research, under his command, with Major Blade being only second to him. However in the early May of 2008, the Bureau's processes had to be halted due to the system failure in the portal room. Though immense efforts were made to revive the most crucial system in the entire bureau, the portal failed to operate. Strangely enough, through what was found, the equipment and the machinery did not suffer from any damages, nor any break downs had occurred within the components. Computer viruses were checked for, and no such evidence was found that they managed to infect the systems. Briggs was compelled to assume the worst, however, did not let any information leak out to cause destruction to the tentative peace the world was in. Two years is not apt enough time to recover from the shocks of the past decade. And so, he found it safer to consider that it was merely a malfunction or an error in the structures of information.

Whatever doubt he did keep, unfortunately seemed more likely when he was unofficially visited by the god called Fujin.

"Child, I apologize for intruding without notice but I have essential information you must pay heed to," the old man had said.

Years of experience had taught Briggs how to differ mortal from immortal. Though they came disguised as men, the veteran's exposure had allowed him to note even the most minuscule of things that gave away their identities. The most common of which were how the world acted around them. When Raiden came to him, electrical appliances often failed to work and he had to discuss matters with him outside the organization's building, to avoid risking break downs in the more important and fragile machinery, mainly those in the portal facility.

This one was not the god of thunder when he first met, although one could easily mistake him for him. This man was shorter, around as tall as Briggs, for he knew that he always had to look up at the seven feet tall deity. And this entity had this aura around him, as if Jackson was standing in between a breeze. He considered this as the effects of the air-conditioning in the room, but this wind had a more earthy smell and sense to it. Jackson knew, he was in the presence of a god, and whatever he had to say, and so eagerly as it seemed, meant a matter of the survival of the human race.

"You don't have to earn my trust, sir, say everything you want and we'll get right on it."

There was no proper information presented to him. Facts were yet unavailable, and all that was told to him was mainly based on assumptions. And rather convincing ones at that. This god, Fujin as he called himself, requested an emergency situation that the Forces of Light remain on standby when the time came. Briggs recognized how he only wanted to involve exclusively the 'Forces of Light', instead of the entire Special Forces. That meant, those that needed to be notified of this meeting with a god, and his concerns over certain matters, were to be Sonya Blade and the junior, Kenshi.

"What exactly is the emergency?" Jackson queried as he turned his hands on the portal control unit, fidgeting with the components, trying desperately in vain yet again to operate the artificial worm-hole.

"This," the god said as he walked slowly to his side, setting his gaze upon the empty, mechanical ring that stood before him. The military veteran looked at him in confusion. Was he talking about the portal?

"You telling me that you know what's wrong with this?" he asked, pointing to the panel in front of him. His expectations that he would say 'no' proved right.

"What I am generally implying is that, there is a reason why this portal has been closed."

"Closed?"

Fujin nodded.

"By the decree of the Elder Gods, and for the security of the realms, all gateways have been made unable for use for all except gods or those near to them."

Jackson feared that the assumptions of an emergency maybe were well justified.

"The Elder Gods did this?" he demanded, stepping away from the unit and in front of the deity. A nod came as the reply again.

"For what reason, they have not specified. All they offered as an explanation was to halter the movements of any evils that may arise. What evil they had mentioned was not further elaborated. They therefore entrusted their faith in me to gather the remaining Warriors of the Light, and prepare for an inevitable battle."

The veteran looked away and turned towards the empty wall, where he would have usually found a swirling vortex of white and silver, twisting endlessly, it seemed, into another dimension.

"Well… it's nothing we can't handle, right?"

"I am afraid this conflict may accede to a greater war. Even I cannot entirely trust in you," the elder had bluntly replied.

Fujin was met with silence.

The god looked down at his feet and sighed deeply in frustration. Raising his head once more, his eyes still only met the back of the military man.

Stifling his voice, he said, "I shall leave to gather any more who I can find. If you could, can you please house a few men and women I bring to you, during my search?"

"Bring anyone you like…" came the reply.

The god of wind prepared to leave when Briggs finally turned around.

"What about Raiden?" he demanded as he put a mechanical hand onto the immortal's shoulder.

This time, Jackson received the quiet as the answer.

This encounter occurred a year ago. It seemed to Briggs that maybe the god had not found any other surviving ally to aid them in this unknown battle. Until the morning of early spring, when the first blooms of cherry blossom season in Japan was celebrated that prompted a news report on the international news, the veteran came to the meet the god of wind yet again. This time, along with him he had brought an accomplice; a green garbed, dark-skinned warrior.

"I know her," Sonya had said almost robotically when they first spotted the pair at the doorway into their facility. "That's Jade."

"Girlfriend?" he asked, joking half-heartedly.

The blonde rolled her eyes.

"Please. She's Kitana's lover. Besides that and her name, there's pretty much nothing I know about her," she explained, mocking the bond the two Edenians had shared. Unknown to her, what she remembered of their relationship was non-existent now.

There was a small light of happiness inside Jackson, but he felt little reason to smile. He nonetheless forced a toothy grin onto his face, for fear that if he did not and kept it suppressed, he may never feel joy again. This instead formed a strange, almost constipated expression on his face that caught Sonya's displeasure as she stared at him, eyes narrowed and lips revealing a grimace. He even startled the Edenian when he first forced on that smile.

"Well… that makes five of us…" the blonde commented before turning around and walking into another room.

The Edenian watched in amazement as the cold, steel doors magically slid away and allowed entrance to the Special Forces agent, before closing behind her without allowing her to put in any effort. The god of wind found it slightly amusing. Although he had to admit, when he first saw such a thing, he was equally awestruck. Looking up at the steel armed man, he was somewhat puzzled when he found that he looked pained.

"Is everything fine, Jax?" he asked. Briggs found it rather odd how informal this man was being. But until he had not noted the deep worry in the god's tone, he did not let his face muscles ease up, and wear a subtle frown. A shake of the head let the deity's concerns rest for a bit.

"Don't worry, its nothing," he assured the immortal, before turning towards the doors behind them. "And she really meant six…"

Fujin merely nodded, adding to the confusion of the jade warrior, who cautiously approached the sliding doors, falling short of the two men.

* * *

The walls slid open, whispering softly, as if forced to while in the presence of Blade, and then, just as quietly whispered away as they closed back up again. He turned his gaze towards her, pulling the frame of his sunglasses down on the bridge of his nose, almost as if in a vulgar way.

"He's great company, Ma'am," claimed the blind-folded soldier who sat at his right. He smirked when she ignored the remark and continued towards them, turning away to another table, not allowing herself to let her eyes meet his. She firmly and briskly marched towards the other side of the room, pulled a chair and plopped into it, arms folding neatly under her chest which pushed her breasts up and outwards within her tight clothes. He was quick to notice.

"Damn, Kenshi…" he sighed, turning his face around towards the blind swordsman, his indecent smile never leaving his lips, a gesture which his blind company would not notice. Sighing almost deeply, he slid off his arms from the table and onto his lap, rubbing them along the rough denim of his jeans.

"If only you could see what I saw."

"Asshole…" Sonya called from fifteen feet away, catching well what he meant.

The swordsman grinned knowingly when his female superior spat out the curse.


	4. Monster

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

* * *

Chapter Three: Monster

She shivered in the cold, bringing her shattered legs close to her body and curled up on the grimy stone of the floor, which was covered with a mixture of fungus and her curdled blood. Her breath quivered loudly. Her body pained without any hopes of recovering, shaking just as violently as her muffled breath, hinting the most hopeless of sobs. Salty streams flowed down her eyes and nose, prickling the deep lacerations on her face. She silently brought her arms up over her head, trying to hide the saliva running uncontrollably down the corner of her split lips as her feet stoked the dirty floor weakly when she heard _her_ sick chuckles.

"You are a... disappointment..." came the sound.

Fear shot through her body, forcing blood into her veins and bringing life back to her. Her hands clawed at the ground, looking for firm grip, and dug into the mould, dragging the rest of her away from the visitor. She heaved herself upon her scratched knees and crawled away, as fast as she could, to somewhere farthest from her captive. Through the insufficient gloom of the chamber, her face rammed into a wall, instantly breaking her nose. But through the terror _she_ instilled in her heart, even the pain from that injury felt numb.

She felt with her hands the slimy surface of the wall, desperately searching for another pathway that could lead her away from _her_. She knew all was in vain, and let tears flow freely from her eyes, not caring to let _her_ hear her whimper. She heard the captor shift, horrifying her greatly. She flung her body around and slammed her back against the wall, gulping for precious air. She brought her legs up towards her exposed chest, finding it useless to comfort herself. She had almost fainted when she saw the woman's silhouette against the faint glow of the prisons, towering menacingly before her weak, pathetic figure.

"My, you proved me wrong..." _she_ mocked, her toothy grin visible in the shadows. "You still provide me with enough entertainment.

Her figure shifted to the right, letting the weak luminance fall upon her broken body. _Her_ movements earned a shriek from her.

"Pathetic..." _she_ commented, before half-turning towards the entrance of her cell. The gloom revealed a little glimpse of her face, pale as flaking white paint, with single black lines covering her eyebrows, while her eyes had been painted red. Her upper lip was coloured black, and a thick red strip ran down from the middle of her white lower lip to her chin. The very picture was horrifying; _she_ resembled a demon when _she_ wore her war paint, but even this sight was less terrifying than when _she_ showed her real face to her.

Those eyes... cold, pale and blue... spoke of the greatest inhumanities _she _was capable of. Tanya knew that even the punishments she will suffer in the Netherrealm were going to be much more kinder than what _she_ did to her.

"_Yano_ s_hiua' a_" her captor called, a phrase she knew meant "Bring it to me".

Her eyes flew open in horror. What was _she_ going to do? Before she could even know what was going to happen to her, she started screaming again. She was silenced quickly, however, the same way she had been countless of times before. A right foot connected to her cheek, splitting it open and throwing her to the other end of the small prison. Her body was thrown up against the wall, where the woman pressed down on her throat with the same foot that kicked her, forcing the breath out of her lungs and nearly tearing through her throat. She was not freed until she had begun gargling on her own blood and knocked teeth.

Tanya fell to the floor, holding her neck in her hand and stroking it, trying to provide it with comfort. She had immediately gulped the blood and teeth down, not wanting to move any more.

"Today is the last..." the woman had announced not once caring to look at her. Two armoured guardsmen came into the chamber, each holding onto a large barrel. Both shifted towards her, placing the container near her.

Tanya shifted her gaze to _her_, not wanting to give herself any false hopes of freedom from this hell-hole.

"_Namanur 'a?_" she croaked in her native tongue, meaning to say "I'm free?"

The woman sneered quietly.

"_Yie_..."

"No..."

Tanya felt like falling apart. She closed her eyes, silently weeping away as _she_ walked near to her. _She_ came to sit down beside her, staring closely into her once beautiful face, giggling menacingly.

"You and I both know you have to die, whether or not you give me the information I need-" her captor began but was cut short.

"Please... just let me go, I'll tell you everything I swear!" she pleaded through broken sobs.

"Why are you so afraid...?" the woman queried, ignorant of her cries. "When you were brought here, it was decided by the gods that your life will end, regardless of anything."

Tanya continued to weep, betrayed by her faith, looking at _her_ with pleading eyes despite knowing the inevitable future.

"So what reason have you to keep everything a secret from me? Just tell me everything, and I shall let you descend to Hell without a burden."

Tanya suddenly realised everything. The woman was all but calling a bluff, feigning to kill her for information she knew _she_ needed. After all, _she_ had kept her alive for so long because she did not squeal and unless she did, _she_ would not allow her to die. _She_ would not take her life without what _she _had. This could mean a chance at survival. If she could stall _her_ long enough and secure her life, she could with whatever time she earned, try and escape. If she could do that, she would be ensuring herself a future.

This thought strengthened her resolve, filling her heart with much needed relief. She knew there was nothing _she_ could do.

"_Yiemo... Yiemo, yiemo, YIEMO!"_

Never.

Never.

Never.

"_Yie taabo ka sono namura' a _(Not until I am free)_!_" she cried, her throat prickling with pain.

"It is not my choice-" the woman had began but was cut short by Tanya's pleas.

"You can! YOU CAN, KITANA! YOU _WILL_ FREE ME!" the tanned woman screeched the loudest she could within her weakened state.

Her defiance was met with displeasure. Her captor, the Empress Kitana, was now scowling visibly, her anger digging deep ridges on her face; a face that caused the guards present there to sweat. They understood that she was going to do something. Something evil. And Tanya was also aware of that. The moment she set eyes on her darkened features, she understood that she had no hope in the first place. Like she had said, regardless of anything, her fate was sealed the moment she had been brought to the Empress's court on trial.

"Burn her face off," Kitana ordered, getting up from ground and turning away to gaze at the wall beyond the chamber. The two men were hesitant, not wanting to conduct this torture. Even they were aware of her cruelty, and certainly felt pity for the weeping Tanya, despite the fact that she had betrayed the Edenian Kingdom, and was the cause of death for many innocents.

"Or else I shall have your children burned before your eyes," the Empress added. The men immediately removed themselves from their positions and set to work; one reaching for the heavy barrel and the other holding the struggling prisoner up on her knees. The former removed the cloth that covered it and then the wooden lid, and used a small cup, already floating inside, to scoop up some of the liquid and splash it onto Tanya's face. He then removed himself from the cell and returned with a lit torch. He stepped in front of the pitiful woman, who kept pleading with moist eyes to spare her.

But he could not let this terrible fate befall his family. His hand shook violently as he tilted the torch near her, letting the fire spill out and eat away at her face. He stumbled back, panting and trembling once her agonizing screams filled the room. His partner had let go of her, so that she may thrash about on the floor, and try to claw away at the flame that consumed her eyes.

The screams echoed within the dungeons for what seemed like an eternity, to both Tanya and the guards.

Kitana lifted her hand.

A signal to halt.

The former reached for the cloth that covered the barrel and threw it on her face, sitting on top of her and holding her down to smother the wild, angry fire. It was moments until Tanya had stopped thrashing and instead began sobbing, her whimpers muffled by the cloth.

Kitana motioned with her bony fingers for the servant to move, which he promptly did, his eyes full of remorse and guilt.

"Speak now..." she ordered as she removed the now sticky fabric from her face. Or what was left of it. Tanya's skin was now a mixture of charred flesh, blood and blackened teeth through what remained of her lips.

The second guard, unable to withstand such a horrible view of the kind of distortion one could do to the mortal body, stepped out of the cell and leaned behind a pillar, relieving himself of what was in his stomach. Weakly, he retrieved himself to his feet and mustered the courage to stand beside his ruler once more, afraid to think what she might do to _him_ if he incurred her displeasure.

"What do you know...?" Kitana demanded, a sickening smile creeping up on her face, somewhat amused by the pathetic display of her servant.

Tanya was nothing any more. She was broken and desolated, and she now understood her uselessness. She had no need to live any more. She did not have to suffer any more. She knew that right now, death was the only solace for her, and though she was aware that through her actions, she would travel into the Netherrealm where more punishments awaited her, but in the moment, they seemed to be a blessing. She thought she could smile at herself, but the absence of her lips made it impossible for her to perform that feat. Instead, she breathed deeply, thanking the Elder Gods for the life they gave her, as a single tear now quietly ran down the side of her face.

"The One... h... h... hweing..." she tried to pronounce 'Being' without her lips. "The Kahidogu did not herish. They ha hound new hosts. In fen. And one of they is wy Lord. And wy Lord is Quan Chi. He now searches wor the other Kahidogu, so that he vay acquire their souls, and he vay hecome the One hweing."

New hosts in men?

"It is too late to do anything now, Kitana..." she added, her voice now in whispers. "It is the end ohf the horlds..."

Kitana's smirk only managed to grow.

"I love it when they ramble..." she spat through clenched teeth.

The guards turned away their heads and brought their hands up to their heads to cup their ears when Kitana placed her foot on her face and smashed it in. Tanya could only manage a small squeak before her raked and burnt skull was crushed, allowing small fragments of her cranium to fly to the other end of the chamber. The mashed remains of her brain flew up and clung to Kitana's boots and robes. The stench in the dungeon grew.

The Empress shook the leg she had used to stomp on her, sending the bits of still bloody flesh about the room

"... Got it all dirty..." she muttered, scraping the soles against the stone floor. Turning around, she walked out of the chamber, using a pace that seemed so dignified; a disguise of her true nature.

"Dispose of her," she ordered before leaving.

* * *

It was a four hour travel, and the corpse had already begun to smell like it had been decomposing for several days by the time they had reached their destination. They had to drag her body out from the wooden vehicle and carry it up the slope, which opened up to a plain. Beyond that, the ground stretched for a few kilometres before it ended and gave way to a desolate canyon, bare of vegetation and littered with naked brown rocks. Below them stood the pyramid, a monument of the day of Armageddon, and the battle field where the conflicts between all good and evil had taken place. One would have thought that this place would be given importance as a memorial ground, for down below, the many heroes that fell in the huge conflict were laid to rest. But in actuality, it was merely called a graveyard.

But what prevented people, though, from venturing near that place was the stench. The putrid smell of death and decay that pinched one's nostrils, sourcing from the thousands of corpses Kitana had deemed to be unworthy of a burial and had used the pyramid's grounds as a wasteland.

The two looked down below, holding Tanya's lifeless, limp body at both ends. The crater was blanketed by a sea of rotting carcasses, already to have been reduced to nothing but pulp because of the weight of the piles and piles of corpses and the heat from the naked son. Animals scoured about the crater, clawing at the endless supply of flesh before them. One of the two guards looked away.

"We need to remove her now..." he insisted, his eyes now beginning to water. "The smell is unbearable!"

The latter removed his gaze from the scene below as well and now stared at his feet, aimlessly.

"No one deserves a death like this..." he commented. His partner could feel his woe.

"None..." he muttered. Silently, the two swung Tanya twice before releasing their hold on her and letting her corpse fall to the ground, contorting and turning in all directions before falling upon a mountain of flesh and bones, her arm caught under her wrangled body.

"None but the Empress herself..."

* * *

A/N: Hidden Metal Gear reference! Free e-cookies to anyone who points it out!


	5. The Words of Fujin

Disclaimer: Not mine.

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Chapter Four: The Words of Fujin

_Before every journey, we must know our goals for the aimless shall only find the path to the Nether, as will the purposeful. But they shall wear their honour like crowns upon their heads as they stand before the gates of Hell._

_For there is no knowledge that is not power._

It is quite unimaginable; the beginning. We are not sure. Whether there was a beginning, or existence reigned in its entirety, we are not sure of it. None of us have the vast understanding to describe – or even fathom – what existence can be considered to be. Its a complicated matter to know how the beginnings were; we do not know how to consider any of it as logical. Would you not think that for everything to be created, there should have been something before it? And would have that something been born from another existence? So to say, the concept of 'how everything came to be' is far beyond our reach.. The only ones who may possess the wisdom are solely the Elder Gods, for it is only their supreme knowledge that can understand the intricacy of the first existence.

Though what we know do know, the gods and the immortals, is that before time, space and life itself, existed but one entity. There are many names by what this entity goes by. You may call it Buddha, or God. Allah, Yahweh, Jehovah, Pan Ku and Bhagwaan. The human race has given it many names to differentiate their creator from that of others, but all that they hold in common is that they believe that there is some body that predated even existence itself before creating all. We cannot say what we can think of this entity, for nothing has ever seen it, and like mortals who have given it various names and attached to it different attributes, the gods themselves are mired in confusion of what to consider. But through the knowledge passed down by my ancestors, shared between us immortals and relayed by the Elders, we learned that this thing was existence itself.

We do not know what form or shape it took, where had it begun, why did it exist, what was it.

But it was there…

And given that there is no real name it adopted, we gave it a title of its own. We call it the Beautiful Light; the Perfect _Creator._

It was beautiful because it was the reason for creation. The reason why time and life are all here.

The Light was perfection. Perfection is what all believe does not exist. It is true. There is no such thing as perfection, and like the Beautiful Light, it had no beginning, nor end. It was just there... perfection was just a name for it's existence.

The Light, as our traditions relate to us, had separated itself and its perfection to form bodies of their own. The balances that now were disjoint entities formed into the Six Harmonies: Peace and war, order and chaos, light and darkness. These were meant to be its sole creations, to fill the nothingness with their presence, and remain so for eternity. You may not understand who these Harmonies were, but for the sake of mankind's understanding, they gave mortals a title with which to distinguish themselves by.

The common name is the Elder Gods.

The Six Harmonies, their knowledge awakened and distinct, deemed themselves the sole existence; having inherited the knowledge of the Perfect Light. But the forces that constituted the Light, now being given themselves their own identity, lacked the balance of their predecessor and were born with faults. They were much too stubborn to realise their shortcomings, and to prove their supremacy to themselves, decided to create life so that they may rule over it and deem themselves perfect as opposed to the complications of life.

They had fashioned the first gods, all of them born with elements that proved their immortality, but in reality, the gods then were not faulty enough, not crude or raw enough to satisfy the Harmonies' pride.

But there was nothing further they could accomplish with their strength, as long as it remained separated. They could not create anything, with the exception of a balance by combining their life forces. This new purity could take life on its own and accomplish the task of the Light to create more and more until the emptiness would begin to live. They could only, perhaps, manage to build a replica of the Beautiful Light, that could use its perfection to create.

Like the Light, there was no name we could give to their new creation, for it was a single existence in itself.

For our convenience, we called it the One Being; the Perfect _Creation_.

The One Being harnessed its energy to build the universe; the stars, the sky, the heavenly bodies. It created a system, a balance in this new empty space that released a force of creation, that gave birth to a new plane called 'The Centre'. This focal point, upon which reality would be built around, acted as a quarters for the immortals, with the 'Eye', or Nexus if you fail to understand, playing its role as a pedestal for the then future race, man, to converse with the gods. Higher above 'The Centre' and beyond the reaches of the universe remained the Harmonies, who watched with splendour how this new 'Beautiful Light' served them, and toiled at their will. Not only did they prove their superiority over the gods and all life, but to the very thing that made them; the Light.

The Perfect Creation used the distinct powers it fed upon from the Elder Gods to fashion six realms, as a tribute to each of the Harmonies, and filled them with the most favoured of all of the Being's and the Elders' creation: humankind.

With each Elders' energies, the first realm to have been born was Edenia, for it embodied the trait most similar to the Perfect Creator: Light. This realm in effect was meant to be the actual plane of residence for the Elder Gods and their favoured lower immortals. A kind of Heaven... if you will, before the actual celestial plane, that is the current Heaven, was created by the Harmonies out of sheer pride to not accept a home built by something insignificant as the Being. The Perfect Creation had made human nature to be imbalanced, uncontrolled and perishable so that nothing may challenge the rank of the Elders. Because of the evils that accompanied the birth of man, and the ignorance of those that did not delve in the worship of the gods, the Netherrealm, the first and eternal Hell in all existence, had been constructed to punish them for their crimes, and to stand as a tribute to the Elder of Darkness, Bedegi... the Hag of the Underworld.

As a testament to the incompetent behaviour humans had been granted, the realms of Seido and chaos had been built, respectively. Seido embodied the concept of order and justice, to signify the importance of complete control, headed directly by the Elder of Order, Seiamadna. The realm where chaos reigned provided an example of the nature of mortals, twisting and rotting away as the cunning Harmony, Kochal of the Chaos, was left to wreak his fury upon the convulsed world as he pleased.

In light of their shortcomings, the humans were a destructive race that thrived in the rituals of combat. The Outworld was to show them the conclusion of never ending wars, so that they may learn of the evils that existed besides those that lay within themselves; Jon Kala, the Elder God of War watching over the sufferings bestowed upon his world. The last realm to be made was Earth, in praise of the Elder of Peace, Ma Atamu, to relay to mortals the importance of balance and peace.

With the birth of these realms, the One Being fashioned what was going to be the last of its creations: man.

Like everything else in the new born universe, the One Being infused its conceptions with its energies and breathed life into beings that reflected upon the Elder Gods themselves, but because of their mortal lives and faults, could never match them in rank. These humans were ideal for what the Elders wished to rule over, and it seemed as if the One Being had served its purpose as meant to.

But since the beginning, the Elder Gods have always been stubborn. They would not accept their defects and in their spite created the One Being, so that they may prove themselves higher than the Light. They made the One Being with the combination of their elements, which they were not ready to accept, had already been tainted by their own incompetencies.

They believed they had created the Perfect Creation, but in reality, they gave birth to an abomination of the Beautiful Light.

The imperfection of the Elder Gods stained the purity of the One Being. As it created the universe and everything in it, the knowledge it inherited from the Elders made it aware of its power. The Perfect Creation understood its supremacy compared to the Harmonies, and slowly, consumed by its own wisdom and tainted heart, realised that it was deemed to be the true ruler of the universe, as once was the Light. It was meant to be the sole thing in existence, like the entity it was modelled after, and achieve true perfection.

The One Being, having completed its purpose of creation, rebelled against the Elder Gods, demanding that it should remain as the only entity in existence, demanding that the Harmonies return to it _its_ energies and begin to de-construct the newly born world. It did not wait for an answer and immediately began the process of draining the powers of the Elder Gods, so that it may gain ultimate power and become whole; become the Beautiful Light.

The Elder Gods, who were aware that knowledge might turn the One Being away from its purpose had made a safeguard in case of a rebellion. When a struggle seemed inevitable, the Elder of Chaos, Kochal, used the nature of his element and unleashed it within the entity of the One Being. If the Perfect Creation really had been as complete and absolute as the Light from which it was modelled after, Kochal's cunning would have had done no harm. But indeed, there is no such thing as perfection, with the exception of the Light, that the One Being was helpless to watch itself deteriorate...

Through the years that had taken the Perfect Creation to give life, the Elder Gods proved that life could also be taken away much faster.

The Elder Gods could not, though, take back what they had given the One Being, for the universe was born from, and thrived upon its consciousness. To protect reality, the Elders fused the six energies that built the Perfect Creation into their tools.

They named them the Kamidogu, the Tools of the Gods.

Each Kamidogu had been hidden in their respective realms, so that subsistence may not fall apart.

But as long as the Kamidogu existed, the One Being was still alive.

And conscious…

Of the betrayals of its creators and the injustice it received.

It was inevitable that the One Being would begin to plot its revenge.

The most powerful body in the universe possessed the greatest amount of the Perfect Creation's consciousness. Such an being was Onaga, the Dragon King, who was made of enough of the One Being's celestial energies to have significant contact with him. The former ruler was to act as the new successor to the One Being, and to accomplish such a task, Onaga had in turn manipulated the monk Shujinko to collect the Tools of God for him, while the Outworld ruler remained in his vegetative state.

Onaga was led to believe that the fusion of the Kamidogu would grant him power equal to that of the One Being. But in reality, he was merely falling into a deception himself. If the Dragon King supposedly would have succeeded in his plans, his soul would have been consumed by the One Being, and his body would be used as the vessel in which it would assume physical shape and begin to break down existence into the energies that were stolen from it.

If that would have been the outcome of the battle with Onaga, then surely, there would have been nothing to constitute reality, but the One Being itself, who would remain as a sole existence.

It would have reached perfection, and dwell in its own tainted madness.

Shujinko had, however, miraculously emerged as the victor in the battle for the survival of the realms. In the process, he had destroyed the Kamidogu, and subsequently the consciousness of the One Being. But if that were the case, then reality would have collapsed on itself without the energy it was supported by.

When the gems had been destroyed, the Perfect Creation's awareness merely travelled to find new host bodies. They selected those entities that possessed great strength, accordingly to their individual Harmony, and unknowingly resided in them. These six individuals do not realise the secret powers that have been granted to them, and it is equally difficult for the gods to know exactly which bodies have been chosen.

It is highly likely that warriors with prowess such as yours may have been selected as the new hosts for the Kamidogu. But we cannot solely move forward with that concept only. There is a possibility of the Kamidogu residing in strong beings that ally themselves with the Forces of Darkness. And there also may be an identical chance that they may be aware of it.

Presently, that chance is definite.

I am eternally grateful to the Mistress of Argus, for without her foresight perhaps this information would have remained shrouded in mystery and reality would have slipped away from our hands without realising it. However much you say that to remain ignorant is to remain happy, but I believe there is a chance to push away this new Armageddon so that life would continue. It is a highly unlikely opportunity, but it is all we can take to allow the innocent to live while we are exiled into severe turmoil...

The Elder Gods have perceived this threat and closed all portals that lead to adjacent realms. They have done so to limit mobility and provide with a little security until we advance and destroy this danger.

I must warn you, that victory in this battle will not mean that evil will finally be eradicated. It is impossible to destroy the very life force that constitutes reality, despite the numerous times the threat may rise in the future.

As the Warriors of Light, it our duty to protect all life, no matter how many we may have to take away.

It is our duty to destroy the present if it means a better future can be built.

It is our duty to conserve reality even it we must fight against it.

It is our duty to achieve honourable deaths, no matter how tainted our hearts may be.

We live the lives of warriors, and we will surely die like warriors

_And now we begin the march to our Damnation…_

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**End of Part One**

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A/N: Finally done with Part One. Which means no more stalling; the real meat of the story begins with Part Two. If I was more professional, this should've been the prologue and I wouldn't have to bother with the first 3-4 chapters. What a waste of time and knowledge...

Lol, MK 1 reference! And thanks to all the people who could review after tolerating this.


	6. An Unprecedented Ally

A/N: Auto-correct sucks Dragon Balls...

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Mortal Kombat, nor the Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater theme which I listened to a bajillion times while writing this chapter. Read and enjoy fellas!

* * *

**Part Two**

**The Mask**

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Chapter Five: An Unprecedented Ally

_The fires grew taller and fiercer until they became overwhelmed by their own fury, eating themselves up and retreating to the ground. In an instant, the flames simply vanished, leaving the charred grounds and the grim sky, laden with thick smoke, as the victims of Hell's rage. The world almost instantly fell silent, letting only the wind and the few that remained standing in the plains to disrupt the quietness. Sub Zero, despite his severe exhaustion and the pain from his wounds stumbled to his feet, only to fall back on his knees again. Gulping for precious air, he tried to look around, fighting his swerving vision and light-headed state. His pale eyes glanced over to the mid-fields, where the column of fire had first reared up from the depths. Through the smoke and the ash that fell as snow, he could barely make out Kitana's figure, standing amidst the desolation._

_He was too far away and too mired in exhaustion to see whether it was just a trick of the eyes, or whether the woman really had survived the explosion. He looked on in disbelief as he saw the figure move and then turn his way, returning. As she got closer, the Lin Kuei could make out that she had not come out of this unscathed. Her skin had gone red from the heat and the lack of oxygen and her clothes had been severely burnt, leaving them in tatters and rags._

"_He's dead..." she had firmly stated, walking past his hunched figure, not caring to come to his aid. Ignorant of her coldness, Sub Zero simply turned over to his side and lay down on the hard ground, breathing deeply to relieve him of his pain and stress._

_Was he really dead?_

_The Korii Warrior closed his eyes, sighing profoundly. He knew better to presume he was dead. But what he witnessed just now... Hell opening up its mouth and consuming him... it was nothing like the olden Lin Kuei had seen. Just why did the Hag of the Nether come herself to drag him back down?_

_Was it because of something he had done? Something he said?_

_Or perhaps it was because of Kitana?_

_He heard Nightwolf call his name and felt a hand upon his chest. Instinctively, his hand shot up and took a hold of the Shaman's wrist, trying to keep his fingers away from his wounds. His eyes fluttered open again to see his ally's stone face, disapproving of his non-cooperation. Understanding that he needed the aid, Sub Zero loosened his grip, allowing his hand to fall upon his sore stomach. Nightwolf's palms fell upon the Lin Kuei's chest again. The Korii Warrior saw a mist of mineral green fly into the air, the magic soothing his muscles. As Nightwolf complacently chanted a prayer, Sub Zero's gaze drifted away where the rest had gathered. Kitana was on the ground, cast into oblivion with Jade frantically calling her name in sheer panic._

_Sighing again, Sub Zero removed his attention and looked back up again, his vision swamped with green fog. His eyelids closed shut, letting him dwell in the peace of his mind until he too would lose consciousness from his fatigue._

_He let his memories wander, till the moment this whole ordeal had begun._

_To where, after seventeen years since his first taste of the convoluted journey that began at the murder of his brother, and after seven years since the struggles were supposed to have come to an end. After Armageddon... Sub Zero had thought he had seen the last of those days and his old past. But nearly a week ago... it all came back to him..._

_How it all started..._

* * *

_9 days earlier_

"Feelin' alright there, Kenshi?" the Lin Kuei had heard Jax query his subordinate. His eyes quickly darted towards the other end of the hall to find the blind man, moving restlessly about in his chair. It seemed to him as if something was paining him, for sweat ran down the younger man's brow, dampening the soft colours of his blindfold. The Swordsman reached for his forehead and massaged it, but to no avail. He kept hunching over the old table and then leaning back in his frustration. His superior had noticed that something was definitely causing a burden to him and came to his side, placing a metallic hand on his back.

Sub Zero felt an urge to come to Kenshi as well, but skillfully suppressed any such sentiments he might hold for his old comrade. The Korii Warrior had no need to associate himself with anyone; it only caused a hindering in his ways. He turned his gaze away, hoping that he would be able to divert his attention from the Swordsman. Yet, despite his attempts at remaining ignorant of Kenshi's pains, the Lin Kuei could not resist the feeling that perhaps the latter was not in pain because of an ailment. Stifling a cough, he leaned away from the wall and slowly made his way out of the crumbling OIA base.

"I feel something vile..." Kenshi had breathed as he shivered under the weight of the demonic essences he felt. Sub Zero quickly came to a halt and turned his head over his shoulder to look back at the Swordsman. Jax had leaned away from him, a grim shadow falling upon his broad face. The larger man had quickly understood the trouble and, instinctively, looked the Lin Kuei's way. Sub Zero remained quiet, the silence itself conversing with Briggs when their eyes met. After a few moments, Jax turned toward his junior again.

"Try to relax yourself..." the brute had ordered before quickly leaving the room, disappearing further into the base. Breathing deeply, the Korii Warrior made it the opposite direction and finally exited the building.

He had hoped to patrol the outer perimeter of the base in order to determine what kind of a threat were they really facing. The Special Forces Colonel had already gone to warn the others and prepare himself, so within the time, Sub Zero had taken upon himself to perceive any precautions that should be reviewed. The sky was thick was brooding clouds, pushing back the rays of the moon and depriving the Outworld of even the smallest glimmer. In such darkness, there was no possible way Sub Zero could perceive an unwanted presence amongst them by relying on his sight alone.

He leveled the breath in his body so that his heart thumped with such a silence that it could fool anyone into thinking he was dead. He listened intently, trying to feel for any unique presences nearby, yet to his disappointment, could not. He just simply could not presume Kenshi's warnings as unimportant; the younger warrior's senses were far more advanced than any, but perhaps Nightwolf, amongst the ensemble of fighters. If there was such a thing that had such a toll on the Swordsman, then it was definitely something that could ring the alarm bells for them.

He felt a familiar aura behind him, which the Lin Kuei presumed as Jax.

"Whoever it is, they've caught on to our location..." the Korii Warrior stated, his sigh signified by the cloud of cool mist that blew from the air-holes in his mask. He turned around to face his companion.

"We have to move-..." Sub Zero halted his words as his eyes fell upon a man he did not recognize as Jax. Instead, it was another familiar face... one he had thought he would never see.

Seven years ago, when the greatest warriors of the realms had come together in a single war, it had been the last Sub Zero would ever know about the people that were involved in his difficult life. He had sent his own brother, the Wraith who then called himself Noob Saibot, back into the depths of the Nether by his hand. He saw the demise of his misguided pupil, Frost, whose corpse he had found near the steps of the Pyramid, having bled to death. Such a fate was shared by his old comrade as well, Smoke, who was broken apart, flesh and machine, beyond all possibilities of repair.

And then, the last; not a loved one, but an enemy. He had watched with his own eyes the Spectre being thrown off of the Pyramid from the eruption caused by Blaze's demise. Taven had secured his victory, Sub Zero was sure of it, for he had seen the demigod reach ascension. Through it all, however, when the Lin Kuei had scoured the crater, looking for allies that still may be alive, Scorpion was not to be found. He had believed that he may have escaped, but as years passed with no word of the Hell-spawn, Sub Zero had realized that the explosion really had destroyed his mortal form and thrown him into Hell once again.

Although he had let himself believe that his bitter enemy was dead, a small part of him hoped that Scorpion would still be alive; somehow, he would have another chance to see him. There was still a part of Sub Zero that yearned to come back to his past, even if it meant that old enemies my surface once again. The again, when did he ever have companions? His brother, friend and disciple... all had tried to destroy him. Sub Zero at times cursed himself for his foolishness... to think such a thing. Any encounter with his past would mean his own demise.

Perhaps that was why the Lin Kuei had left everything far behind and did not look back.

But even still, there was always a small voice inside of him, calling to his memories.

And how twisted should fate be that his past was now before him once again...

When he had worked so hard to forget them...

Sub Zero did not understand why he did not move. Looking into those lost and lifeless eyes again, feeling in his body slipped away. His legs had gone numb and his old heart had nearly stopped when his eyes first fell upon the Shirai Ryu.

Scorpion was not as he remembered him to be. The ninja looked paler, more aged that seven years ago. Sub Zero had assumed that his state of suspension did not allow him to age; perhaps it was the madness and the corruption of the Netherrealm that had crept into his mortal form. The gold of his uniform was now a desert sand hue, with brown blotches of dried blood and dirt decorating the mantle. The ninja wore a tattered hooded cloak which the wind tried to desperately to pull off of him. The mask had even lost its sheen and had now begun to rust.

That was when he knew that it was Scorpion whom Kenshi had sensed coming. It frightened him how just the mere presence of his damned soul was enough to cause the Swordsman to shiver. Could he really be that powerful?

Then why did he not attack?

Sub Zero kept staring at the enemy in despairing shock, neither word nor breath escaping his lips. He was frozen still, allowing such a deafening silence to settle in between the two that it had become torture to the Lin Kuei. Yet, even as the salty breezes of the Outworld's wastelands blew between the distance, neither warrior had dared to move. The Spectre's intentions were impossible to determine. Really, if he had come to slay his rival, then why hesitate? Why allow him to see through an ambush? Why just stand in front of him?

"What...?" the Korii Warrior heard Jax exclaim from afar. For a brief moment, Sub Zero saw the ninja's pale eyes turn away at the distraction.

The Lin Kuei understood his opportunity.

If Scorpion was going to leave himself open to harm, then so be it.

Vapour gathered at his finger tips, freezing together to form a blade within a breath. Scorpion had not seen the attack coming but was quick enough to pull his sword from its sheath and shield himself from the fatal blow. The blades sang as the Lin Kuei continued his onslaught, pushing back the ninja into a defensive stance. Recognizing an opening, the Korii Warrior quickly placed a palm on Scorpion's wrist and proceeded to freeze his arm.

He had heard a pained grunt from his opponent and then felt a sweep upon his angles. The Lin Kuei quickly slid away on a thin strip of ice to avoid the counter, forming another blade in his other hand as Jax rushed towards the intruder, his mechanical hands glowing blue with energy.

The ground tore open as the force of Briggs's punches, having narrowly missed their target, fell upon the hard earth. Mustering strength in his left limb, the Special Forces veteran directed his blow to the ground underneath him, this time though, purposely. The minor tremor created by the impact threw the ninja off his balance and was helpless as he stumbled backwards, catching himself with a hand before his body hit the ground. Seizing the momentum, Sub Zero blasted a chilling wind towards the Spectre before he managed to recover himself, effectively trapping him.

Sub Zero charged towards the enemy with blinding speed on a sheet of ice, both weapons held before him, and swung down upon the trapped figure. Shards of ice flew in the air as the Lin Kuei managed to attack but a frozen lump, realizing much too late that the Spectre had employed his dark arts to transport himself away. Briggs, luckily enough, had picked himself from his crouch and had aimed for another hook at the ninja's skull, who had materialized in a short burst of fire directly behind the Korii Warrior. The blow, once again, met only thin air as Scorpion disappeared into flames once again.

The Ninja stood at a distance from the pair and stood complacently in the breeze, watching intently as both Jax and Sub Zero halted their assault and steadied themselves on their feet. The two glared at the enemy but remained silent as neither side attacked the other. The Lin Kuei exchanged a quick glance with his ally and then averted his attention back to the gold-garbed man. Inhaling a deep, calming breath, Sub Zero readied his Korii Blades as Jax stretched his thick neck from side to side.

The two charged through the breeze, the wind carrying away their cries across the parched lands of the Outworld.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open only to meet the still darkness that occupied her chamber. This was yet another night where she had woken up well before the dawn's light would climb into the the sky. She breathed ever so profoundly and then lifted herself up in her bed, massaging her heavy eyes so she could see through the blackness.

It had been two years since she started to abruptly wake up halfway into her sleep. Sitting on her bed with her hands now in her lap, she wondered whether she had a dream but could recall no such memories. She breathed again in frustration and swung her legs over the side of the bed, the soles of her feet gracing the cold floor. Her hand reached for a nearby table and found purchase on a small lantern. Standing up, she lowered a thin lever on the lamp, creating a thin wisp of fire that provided enough luminance to see.

Placing it down on the table, she pushed back her ivory hair and tied them into a loose plait before picking the lantern up again and making her way out of her room. She pushed the heavy doors of the chamber, uncaring of the brittle moan that emitted and echoed down the empty hallway before her.

She paced across the massive path, coming to yet another set of doors that she found a bother to push. She found passage into another hall which, though, was comparatively narrower than the one she exited. Her blue eyes lifted towards the east, registering her gaze into nothing but the shadows that drowned the walkway beyond where the insufficient light from her lantern could reach. She knew that mired within that darkness, at the farthest end of the hall, was another gate that led into the main throne room.

Somehow, she found herself being pulled towards the far end of the path, her lamp breaking through the blackness as she slowly approached the familiar gate.

Her thin fingers fell upon the intricate woodwork of the doors, absentmindedly tracing the carvings. She suddenly scoffed, having recognized her foolish behavior and applied her weight upon them, heaving them to open just a crack, enough to let her pass through.

Ribbons of silver moonlight streamed in through the massive windows of the chamber, bathing the adornments with a blue glow and casting still and silent shadows. Her eyes shifted, at first to her sides and then to the throne that lay on a raised platform in the north of the chamber. She sighed, wondering why she had come here again... what was it that kept calling her to the chamber in the heart of the night?

She stood silently, watching the glow of the moon dim as clouds rolled across the sky, making the shadows dance. She took a small step forward but thought better of it and decided to retreat.

Until she thought she saw that someone was occupying the throne. She averted her gaze towards the pedestal and held her breath when she witnessed a massive bulk shift in the seat. As the clouds drifted away, the light flowed into the chamber again, revealing a tint of what seemed like the dome of a man's skull.

Appalled, she sprinted towards the end of the room, hissing in displeasure as she approached...

...Yet another shadow...

The yellow gloom of the lantern spilled onto the throne and the worn skull-helmet that was placed on an ornament. She squinted in frustration and reached for the dead Emperor's headgear, twisting it so that it spun. After a few moments, the skull came to rest, clinking against the frame of the throne and prompting a smile from her.

"Oh you must be proud..." she sneered, stepping down from the platform but never turning her gaze away from the helmet. "I've turned out exactly the way you wanted me to..."

She chuckled, tilting her head to her side in a mocking fashion and then curtseyed.

"You at least deserve a show of respect for that..." the woman stated, now lifting herself and clapping with subdued enthusiasm. But within moments, her hideous grin turned into a quizzical frown.

"Why did you not laugh...?" she demanded from the nothingness, pausing when she received silence as the answer. "You had beaten me, berated me, cursed me... but why did you never laugh at me...?"

She slowly made her way up the pedestal again and placed a hand on the dome of the skull, turning it so that the eye-holes 'looked' back at her.

"Was it because somehow you hoped that I was your blood?"

Silence yet again.

"I hoped so..."

She quickly turned around, her eyes searching the chamber for the small noise that echoed through the hall. She turned silent, her lips folding into a fearsome grimace at the audacity of the intruder. But within moments, she heard the shuffle of footsteps again, realizing that no intruder would be foolish enough to make such an audible noise. She relaxed herself and climbed down the stage, pacing across the hall. She came to a gradual halt when the footsteps became louder as they approached the chamber and saw the heavy doors swing open.

Much to her annoyance, it was a soldier who stepped inside and upon seeing her present in the chamber, fell upon his knees.

"Permission to speak, Empress!" the subordinate requested, panting like an animal.

"You may..." she drawled with a wave of her hand, rolling her eyes in boredom.

"The portal has closed down...!" he announced.

The news was met with considerable displeasure. Kitana' eyes widened and her muscles tightened as her fingers rolled into fists, quivering with anger. It had taken her miraculous effort to keep herself from bellowing and retained her calm, clenching her teeth to subdue her temper.

"We may believe that the battalion stationed in the Outworld for the protection of the portal has come into an encounter with the Tarkata! We have yet to receive any contact from the dispatched troops!"

The soldier lifted his head to receive his Ruler's gaze but was perplexed why she remained so silent. She was staring back at him, but seemed as if she was looking at something beyond his presence. He breathed rapidly, easing his exhaustion as he lifted himself up at the direction of the woman.

"Alert the Generals..." she ordered, walking past him in a gradual pace. "Have them report to the Map Room..."

The minor quickly bowed and sprinted out the door, as Kitana continued to the armory.

* * *

Sub Zero stood frozen in his stance, baffled how the fight was proceeding. Within moments the remaining Warriors of Light had leapt into battle, withholding no strength as they swarmed around the Shirai Ryu, slowly choking any chance of a counter or an escape.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR?" Sonya had screeched at him and violently took a hold of his mantle. The Lin Kuei gazed down at her at a loss for words, prompting the blonde to push him away. He could understand her fury, for Bo'Rai Cho and his student Li Mei had chosen to stand by idly as well, watching the fight progress. Why would they refuse help was beyond any reasoning for her, but as the battle dragged on into the night... even Sub Zero had come to understand why they were not attacking Scorpion.

It was the reason why he too had hesitated and eventually given up.

"He's not fighting back..." he muttered.

Sonya narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"What...?" she demanded, somewhat appalled. "Are you fucking with me...?"

"He hasn't dealt a single blow..." he tried again, but managed to upset the woman further. "Stop the fight..."

At his request, the Special Forces Major produced a revolver from its case and pointed it towards the Lin Kuei, her nostrils flaring with unsurpassed anger.

"BLADE!" she heard a cry and felt a hand wrap around her wrist, pulling the weapon down. Her gaze shifted to her right to find the perpetrator to be Li Mei. She snarled at the child but thought better to have her temper overpowering her. She eased herself and placed the gun back into her belt, wearing an expression that clearly showed her disapproval.

"Go on," she spat, tilting her head in the direction of the fight but turned away in sheer disgust as Sub Zero shot a blast of cool air that encased everyone's legs in hard ice.

"What the-" Johnny had exclaimed and then turned around to search for the Korii Warrior. "Hey, whose side are you on?"

"Take it easy, Jax..." Sonya had answered to her bewildered Colonel once she reached him. "This guy didn't come here looking for a fight..."

The military man furrowed his brows in confusion and looked up ahead to see the gold-clad Ninja shaking the recently melted ice off his legs. The so-called enemy returned an indignant glare.

"Don't look like he came to make peace..." Briggs commented. Balling his metallic fingers into a fist, he lifted up his arm and sent it down upon the ice that anchored him to the ground. The bulk flew apart, letting the man heave his legs out from the rubble.

"A little help?" Cage requested as Jax walked past him, purposely ignoring his pleas. With him followed the remaining combatants who had managed to thaw themselves out of the ince, leaving only the action hero to his own predicament.

"Just peachy guys!" they heard him cry as they all gathered around the Korii Warrior, and the Old Master and his student.

"He had not even lifted his blade..." Kenshi had implied, prompting Cho to nod in acknowledgment. Sub Zero had assured himself that Scorpion really did not possess any threat to them for the moment. After all, if he really was here to kill him – or all of them – then he would have driven his weapon through his heart when he had first appeared. The Ninja had ample time to deal the blow yet he waited for the Lin Kuei to turn around to see him and yet again failed to move an inch beyond that. Scorpion had let him take the first strike, and pulled him into a fight long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

Why had he done that?

And whats more... Scorpion had not fought back, but parried and dodged ever blow he was capable of. Why would the Shirai Ryu throw himself into the enemy's circle and allow them to unleash their fury upon him?

"Why would he do that...?" Sub Zero demanded after a moment's pause. He felt a hand upon his shoulder and lifted his lashes to see Nightwolf, staring out into the dark fields of the night. He nodded in the direction, prompting the Lin Kuei to turn his head and see.

Scorpion was on one knee, his hand alight with a small fire which he held close to Johnny's frozen limbs, helping him out of his entrapment. When the ice had sufficiently melted, the younger man pulled himself out of the bulk, offering a polite appreciation that somehow sounded rude. The Ninja silently lifted himself to his feet, offering no response.

"What does he want...?" Sub Zero whispered, his heart beating louder with an eerie fear.

For an unknown reason, Sub Zero felt that such kind behavior from the Spectre warranted ill warnings. A voice in his head echoed, telling him that the reason for the Ninja's arrival could be sinister.

Something was gravely wrong if it meant that Scorpion had come to them, not wishing for a fight.

He recalled Fujin's words...

Could it be that the Spectre was here because of the One Being?

The only way they could know was if they asked the Shirai Ryu themselves...

* * *

A/N: I wants 'ta thanks** Cloud 9** and **no1scorpionfan** fer reviewing da story.

As in the unforgettable words of the Governator, "GIT TO DA CHOPPA!"

Yeah I know, that made no sense... well review if you're feeling charitable.


	7. Trapped

Disclaimer: Ever wondered why its called a disclaimer?

* * *

Chapter Six: Trapped

"_How old am I?_" he asked himself, staring into the pale palms of his hands. His skin was clouded with blue as the bloodstreams became rather visible, like dirt smeared across his flesh. He slowly turned his wrists over to gaze at the back of his hands, ravaged by thick veins that crawled like snakes down his arms. At times, when he did look at his palms, he felt too old.

So old that he marveled how he was even alive. He stole a glance of the ornament that hung by a sash over his mantle and took it in his grasp, now studying it with great content.

It was this little medallion that had given him such mastery over his powers yet at a such a disdainful cost. He was made aware of the side effects of using the article by the elders of his clan, and still, foolishly he had thought that the age it would bring would grant him wisdom as well. But despite his outlook over what was an evident setback, it was not until now that Sub Zero realized that he was mistaken.

It was now that he understood that growing old does not bring knowledge, but rather, it is one's experiences in life that allow one to earn wisdom through years which he had yet to live... will not live...

He pinned the medallion back to the sash, knowing too well that it was too late to toss the it away now. He had lived less than half the life that which his aged body claimed to be. He scoffed at the oddity of being a young soul trapped within the shell of an old man. Shaking away his thoughts, he removed his gaze from his palms and lifted his head, his blank eyes observing the frosted cloud that rose from his mask.

Lovely...

This was one thing that assured him that he was still alive.

Or perhaps it could be another delusion?

A hollow laugh resonated from his throat, and immediately, the Lin Kuei had begun regretting making such a noise. Fearful, his eyes scoured the room for any faces that might be turned in his direction, hoping none had taken notice of his daydreaming. Thankfully, no one but the Spectre was staring back at him.

Sub Zero didn't choose to mind the undermining gaze of his rival. He could understand the other's conceptions about him; after all, the two were – or maybe still – are enemies, so undoubtedly, the Spectre would register a venomous glare his way. Still, the Korii Warrior did not find it to be bothersome. Although he could feel the gaze of the Ninja prickling his skin, Sub Zero remained aloof and ignorant of his presence.

Or at least, that was how he showed himself to be.

Every word, every statement that escaped Scorpion's throat was intently listened to by the Lin Kuei. He could gather enough and plenty information from the rival that cemented the fact that they were all about to be dragged into a long drawn out war.

He needed a reason why Scorpion would forgo his grudge against him and extend a hand in perpetual friendship. It was odd and slightly frightening. Whatever his purpose was, Sub Zero was just as curious as everyone else to find out.

Sub Zero's head shook out of instinct when the warnings were issued by the Shirai Ryu.

Of course.

Another enemy.

How much of that had he heard, anyway?

The group was informed of an advancing army of Tarkata, heading from the plains in the north west towards their current location. How they knew and who had told them, these were all questions even Scorpion had no answers to. The Spectre, though, was kind enough to detail the urgency of the situation and their predicament when he had mentioned that opposition forces of another realm that stood guard at the Nexus gate were crushed in a massive sweep. The foreign army was large, Scorpion had narrated, but the Tarkatan forces were innumerable.

Oddly enough, Scorpion had managed to intercept most of the plans of the Tarkata by spying on them and gathered many pieces to the puzzle of this One Being. One great charity, though unknowingly, he had done for them was that he had confronted and killed Baraka prior to dropping a visit to the OIA Headquarters.

So they had no choice then.

Scorpion had suddenly become a valued asset to the Forces of Light, and a creditor.

Sub Zero scoffed again. He knew that there was no way the Ninja would waste his time in trivial matters. If he wanted Quan Chi's head, he would have employed much of the information himself instead of relaying everything to them. There had to be a lie hidden somewhere amongst his words, a reason that was masked before them...

What did he want?

"You have to be fools to come to the Outworld without any tactic or reinforcements..." Scorpion's voice croaked from underneath his mask. The base was almost a decade old but years of neglect made it seem like it was an ancient ruin. Too old before its time, Sub Zero could almost cherish the thought how he and the building were so alike. The Lin Kuei observed his rival with great intent; somehow, even he seemed to share Sub Zero's cursed age, but despite being a deceased corpse, Scorpion looked healthier than him. Pale as he was, the Shirai Ryu still retained much of his color. Sub Zero on the other hand had become so white over the ages that it was more likely that he was the one actually dead. "The Tarkata own and know these lands, and any force to rise against Quan Chi, they would undeniably deal with it..."

With so many people crowded into the cabin, the dust kept flying up like remnants of a forsaken magic as the particles shone gold in the poor light. The energy was too little to power up the whole base. It did not matter either way... machines and appliances had lost any life they had left over the years they had not been touched. It was the dust though, that annoyed Sub Zero more than the flickering glow from the light-bulbs overhead. They kept collecting into his mask, threatening to throw the Lin Kuei into a fit of coughs.

Wheezing, he registered a frustrated gaze towards Scorpion, thinking if there was anyone here upon whom he could take his anger out on, it better well be his rival then. Of course, his discomfort was not of the Specter's doing, but the undead man was worth putting all the blame on. Through his silent accusations, Sub Zero did not know that he was, in fact, getting angrier the more he stared at him.

"Then why are you here...?" Sub Zero had murmured only later realizing that he had spoken out what he was thinking. This time, though, the hostility in the thick and congested atmosphere was from Scorpion. Realizing that he had let his emotions get the best of him, the Korii Warrior tried to salvage whatever was left of his pride and turned his head away in a rather arrogant fashion, hoping that no one could see him eye to eye.

This was a good cover up. Everyone easily believed that Sub Zero was being skeptical, not unstable.

"I am not here out of my own accord..." the Spectre hissed, the dust around his hood dispersing with his breath. He looked like a dragon sitting amongst the shadows. "If the portals were open I would have fled this barren rock ages ago..."

Silence reigned within the apartment as if Sub Zero stood amidst a graveyard. He hated this bitter quite; it was torturous, as if trying to strip away the wall he had built around himself and exposing his vulnerability to everyone. Somehow, despite the heat in the room, despite being a master of ice himself, Sub Zero felt cold. For a second, he wondered if he really was dead and caught between a paradox of his own memories. He heard that happened to troubled souls; they often became trapped in their past, assuming that they were still alive and living well.

Apparently, his frosted breaths that clouded before his face seemed deceptive to him.

Between him and Scorpion, perhaps he really was the dead one.

Oh...

He was getting old...

"We'll move out at dawn..." Jax announced, mercifully bringing an abrupt end to the silence.

"No," the Spectre prompted before the Colonel could take his leave, his voice more a muffled sigh. "Right now..."

"The fuck...?" Cage had groaned in disagreement. "After this day, can't you spare me some shut eye?"

"You are not being hunted by mere humans," Scorpion had warned, his voice now firmer and huskier than it was before, but still retaining that exhaustion and airy quality. "They're Tarkatan. Faster, stronger and completely brutal. By the time the sun rises, your corpses would have already been sent to Chi..."

Frightening as his voice was right now, Johnny could not take the situation any more lightly than he was at the moment. Sub Zero's lips curved into what resembled a smile underneath his mask. If only he had Cage's arrogance, he would not have been so stressed over the whole situation. But it seemed it was only him who approved of the action hero's attitude. The others were glaring at him in awful disdain. But really, it was not as if what Johnny said was wrong. Sleep was not a common activity ever since they came here and everyone was tired out of their wits.

Sub Zero felt a form of relief wash over him.

Perhaps it wasn't that he was getting old. He could be simply exhausted.

Leaning lower, he propped himself against the wall again like a careless child and stared absentmindedly at his feet. Lost in his own thoughts, he did not see the Spectre turn his head around, searching from amongst them.

"There was supposed to be an Edenian amongst you..." he said in such a subdued whisper that it made his words sound almost unintelligible.

Sub Zero shuffled his feet.

Did he say something?

Li Mei took the directive amongst the other more reluctant people and sprinted out of the room.

Sub Zero was sure the Scorpion had said something...

Within moments she arrived with a bewildered looking Jade, who stood quivering in nervousness when she was brought in the sight of the guest. Scorpion's white pools had taken a mere glance at her and then took a step forward, emerging from his cloak of silhouettes.

The dragon abandoned his cave.

"You are the Princess...?" he had stated, but the words seemed to come out more like a question. At first, the dark-skinned Edenian's eyes grew wide in surprise and then her lips folded into a dismayed frown. She turned her eyes towards the floor, regretting that she had to hear of her former friend again and shook her head with vigor. She wanted nothing to do with her Ruler; being mistaken for Kitana was a blow to her dignity. There was nothing common between the two, and she wanted it to remain that way.

She did not want to be compared to that cruel monstrosity...

"No..." she reaffirmed her denial, her voice having become deeper with coldness, and then, a sad smirk formed onto her face. "I'm not the _Empress_..."

Scorpion had taken a moment to register the woman's snide answer, the concentration that engulfed his eyes an indication that he had taken great care to note that Jade called her friend 'Empress'.

"Why is she not here?" the Ninja demanded, tilting his head towards the ground, scrutinizing her telltale expressions.

Jade frowned again, finding that his queries regarding her master were puncturing her heart.

"She has greater duties to govern Edenia," the woman answered. "What do you want with her...?"

"Apparently your Empress has some value to the Tarkata..." he answered, his voice grower heavier yet quieter. "Associated with these... Kamidogu..."

Sub Zero slowly heaved his head and stared aimlessly at his companions. Why was everything so quiet now? They either grimaced or exchanged nervous glances with each other, neither one of the warriors daring to speak. But even so they did not let even so much a whimper be heard, why was everything so awfully quiet? So unnaturally silent? The Lin Kuei could almost feel his head spin, prompting him to stand straight, yet for some reason, he felt so weak that he could fall in a heap. He watched his breath lift into the air again; neither the shuffle of his feet, the beating of his heart nor the hiss of his cold sighs... he could not hear a single thing. He pressed a callused hand against the wall, his nails digging into the ruts to keep his hold firm and keep himself on his feet.

What was happening to him?

_You're getting old..._

Was he really that exhausted?

_Very old..._

He jerked back to life, emitting a small gasp the sound of which mercifully fell upon his ears. He was hyperventilating as if something had choked his windpipe; his frosted breath now constantly hovering before his eyes. His eyes darted across the room and felt satisfaction settle within his heaving chest when he realized no one had taken notice, straightening himself as if the energy from his limbs had never left them in the first place. His calculating gaze fell upon each face, reassuring himself that he had not drawn any attention to himself, nodding to himself mentally.

"What's wrong...?" he heard a whisper and turned his head to find Kenshi only a few feet away from him. How did he get there? He was right before him, sitting near the table and the next moment, he was standing behind his back? Had he not seen the Swordsman approach? He should have... it was a small room, Sub Zero could easily take notice of anyone that moved even an inch from their spot...

Why did he not see him then?

He saw the younger man lift a hand and reach for his shoulder. Before the tips of his fingers could even land upon his over-mantle, the Lin Kuei swiftly took a step forward, a sign that he did not want to be bothered. The Blind man slowly returned his limb to his side and frowned so deeply that his lips had become a thin black line. For a moment, Sub Zero just stared at him. Without reason, without a prompt, the Korii Warrior took long enduring moments to stare at the other man and then slowly turned his eyes away.

"We'll discuss things later," Jax had said, lifting a silver palm for the arrival to see. "Lets get a move on before them Oompa Loompas show their ugly faces here..."

Just as he had said it, Kenshi almost sprinted past Sub Zero and exited the room, out of sight. It was moments before the rest gradually began to pick themselves up and make their way out of the cabin as well. The Lin Kuei looked over to his rival; he didn't seem too keen to be the first to leave the room. He narrowed his eyes at the Shirai Ryu, a final rebuttal before he left the...

… The room...

It was a room... correct...?

… Where... was he going...?

"Something bugging you?" Johnny called from near the exit, his brows arching upwards in surprise when the Lin Kuei returned a very lost look. He was silent for moments on end, prompting the other man to repeat his question loudly.

"How... do I... leave...?" the Korii Warrior breathed heavily, saying his words like a child who had just learned to talk.

"What?" the action star called, unsure whether he heard right. Did Sub Zero just ask him how to leave the room?

"... Where..." the man had begun, deeply worrying Johnny. "... Where... do I leave from...?"

Cage was, for a brief moment, speechless. He looked over to the other remaining entity in the room, Scorpion, and saw that even he was perplexed at the Lin Kuei's behavior. A sickening feeling formed at the pit of his stomach, churning in despair when he saw Sub Zero's eyes.

Cold... Shallow...

There was nothing there...

Like he was staring into a standing corpse.

The hero fumbled for words, eventually regaining his composure and then pointed ahead of him, into the hallway.

"Same way you came..." he answered, gulping when Sub Zero gave no response, but merely stared on in the direction Cage had lifted his finger towards. "Is everything okay with you, buddy?"

The Lin Kuei approached the mouth of the cabin like a ghost and silently dragged himself past Cage. The younger man called out his name yet again, but Sub Zero did not hear him.

For the moment, he could not hear him...

He could not hear anything.

Maybe... he _was_ the dead one...

_So very old..._

* * *

Mauve.

Magenta.

A little more violet.

Now its pink.

Rose pink.

A small burst of yellow emerging from the horizon.

Like the petals of a flower...

And the sun would be the corona.

Just like the Kamidogu of the Outworld.

A violet flower, its petals turning into themselves, neither closing into a bud nor becoming a full blossom; a symbol of conflict. That was what the Outworld was... a realm made for war, conflict and struggle, fated by the gods themselves never to attain peace. Battle... that was the essence of the Outworld. Every single little moment, every minute whisper, every creature and existent thing within this separate universe was always locked in struggle. Just as the sun as it climbed up into the sky, only to creep behind the solemn clouds that pushed away the light behind them.

Only the sun would know of its own radiance.

It was understandable; Outworld was cursed flower. Just as the Kamidogu... a flower. Neither will it bloom. Neither will it wither. But it will remain trapped within its own cycle.

Sub Zero sighed, feeling a long needed peace when he thought of this realm that way. Quietly, he counted the colors as the first rays of dawn crawled against the sky, ever so slowly inching further away from the horizon, just as they were trekking the lands of the Outworld. The Forces of Light, stretching away from their base like the light from the sun in the blanket of hues above their heads.

It had been only mere hours since the group found themselves without shelter yet again. They had abandoned their only roof, the OIA Headquarters, on the insistence of Scorpion. In their hurry, they had managed to gather only a few items of real worth. Jax, Sonya and Kenshi, though, had laden their bags with the greatest burdens; equipment, stale foods, weapons and other things meant for survival. The ones who walked without anything but weapons in hand included himself and the rest of the lot. Johnny Cage was a necessary exception, but compared to the five suitcases he had brought with himself, this time, the man only carried a sparse cloth bag, with only a single change of clothes and worn baseball cap.

Despite carrying a great load, Kenshi had opted to lead the group. Scorpion was, of course, not clean enough to be trusted. Everyone was aware of the amount of blood on his hands and were hesitant to entrust their complete faith in him. The Swordsman had taken lead exactly for the same purpose: he did not want Scorpion leading them into any traps, so he had employed his foresight to choose the safest route. That was why they were always winding in directions all the time, turning east if their was a presence in the west and heading south if a threat could be felt in the north.

Needless to say, their twisting path made the journey necessarily long, and since the hours they had been on foot, kicking the parched dust of the Outworld with their feet, most had already become exhausted yet carried on only through sheer will. Within another hour they would reach the ranges towards the north west and camp within an obscured cavity in the mountains which had been discovered by Scorpion. He had provided that the cave was wet and damp farther inside and full with a mix of different smells of the earth, something which could mask their scents and relieve them of the following Tarkata.

But of course, once they did reach the terrain, they would have to scale it as well, a fact which Sonya felt extremely disheartened about.

Nearly everyone was deeply concerned about entrusting their souls within the hands of a man who could not protect his own. Thankfully though, Kenshi had worked hard up until now to shepherd them, and that alone let them ease a little.

"No not here..." Sub Zero heard the blind warrior murmur and turn a raised palm into another direction. He slowly paced in the direction, still holding up his hand, feeling for a way. They followed obediently and wordlessly as they now continued towards the west.

Until Kenshi stopped yet again.

He heaved his limb further right and then turned it towards the left, searching for a clear path. Grunting, he whirled around, now facing the group and scouring the opposite way. He was taking long, much too long and even the bitter fold of his frown signified that he was having trouble finding a path. Everyone looked on, their tiredness actually making them more patient than agitated and watched the Swordsman struggle in absolute silence.

Seeing the delay, Cage had chosen to sit down upon the sandy ground next to Sonya. Much of her energy had dissipated and she was in dire need of a rest, which this sudden event had thankfully provided her. She was the first to fall to the ground on her behind, hands propping her up. Catching upon her breath, the woman hunched forwards, resting her elbows on her knees and holding a wrist in her hand, forming a bridge with her limbs. She lowered her head into the space between her thighs and her chest, her chin almost touching her collar.

"Not growing any younger, are we?" Sub Zero had heard Cage try a little small talk.

"Shut up..." came the curt reply, ravaged with receding panting. The movie actor smiled coyly, knowing well that he was successful in bothering her.

The Lin Kuei's gaze narrowed at the two, observing the lines that formed on the younger male's face, a sign of age accompanied with experience. The dark chocolate of his hair was scarred by thin wisps of white, particularly above the years. In due time, the lines and grays would grow deeper and denser until Cage would begin to resemble Sub Zero. But by then, the Korii Warrior would be long dead, or a wrinkled vegetable if the Elder Gods felt cruel.

It was odd to see relative subtlety on Cage's face. When he had met him over a decade and a half ago, he was young, charismatic and carefree. Sub Zero had been the same, excluding Johnny's own personal traits. Back then, he was a reckless and pompous youth, managing to annoy everyone he came into contact with and like then, his particular victim was Sonya.

His everlasting punching bag.

And Cage was the same to her.

It was remarkable; the trick fate played with everyone. When he had first met the action hero, Sub Zero was actually younger than him, but Cage's charismatic personality and ever glowing face made him seem like a juvenile. The age was, of course, quite noticeable, but despite this, he still retained the charm of that same Johnny Cage that wound up in the Mortal Combat owing to one fuck of a mistake. Under normal circumstances, the Lin Kuei would have only begun to develop wrinkles, but alas, destiny proved to be a very cruel playmate.

Sonya had lifted her head to hurl a retort Cage's way when he insisted upon pestering her with unnecessary chatter.

Time had gotten the best of Sonya though; despite being around as old as Johnny, she in fact, looked half a decade older than him. Folds appeared along the corners of her lips and her cheeks had forgone their color, making her cheekbones more prominent. Even her chest had begun to sag a little, a fact which she tried to cover by wearing a combat vest over her shirt. Her once striking golden hair were now a pale yellow, like years old wall paint.

"Hey, how about blowing us a breeze, Subbie?" the movie actor had exclaimed, snapping the Korii Warrior out of his thoughts. It was a request Sub Zero was obviously not going to fulfill and turned away from him, letting Johnny know that at the moment, he did not exist to him.

"Jerk..." the dark haired man muttered, although audibly enough so that his voice could fall upon the Ice Warrior's ears. "Some superheroes we're tryin' to be when you can't –"

"What the fuck is taking so long?" Sonya cried with a tired voice, turning her head towards Kenshi, interrupting the action star.

"I don't understand..." the Blind man murmured, ignoring his superior's prompts.

"What?" she demanded, losing her interest much too quickly.

The Swordsman whirled his hands about, turning to every direction, only to grow grimmer with frustration.

"No path..." they heard a low groan and directed their attention towards Nightwolf. The Shaman sat one one knee, hunched close to the ground with a hand resting gently against the soft earth. A green hue rose from his fingers like smoke and drifted away into the sky, prompting the man to knit his brows in deep concentration.

"They..." the Native American began, his voice settling into a tired and fearful whisper. "They... are everywhere..."

"Eh?" Cage demanded, one of the few who who did not understand.

"The Tarkata..." Nightwolf delivered. "They already have circled around us..."

Sub Zero's eyes widened until his eyes threatened to fall out.

"And they are closing in... fast..."

* * *

A/N: Okay, I don't want anyone yapping on and on about why I turned Sub Zero in a fossil, a'ight? For goodness' sakes, PLAY Deadly Alliance, PLAY Deception and GET A CLUE: Sub Zero is OLD. The DRAGON MEDALLIONdid some SHIT to him which is why he's got CROW'S FEET AND GRAYS. And since this story takes place SEVEN YEARS AFTER ARMAGEDDON, he's as OLD as FUCK. So sorry if I crushed fangirl dreams of him being an eternal bishie under that mask (He WASN'T bishonen in the first place. Smoke, Rain and Fujin are the only official bishies), because –** OFFICIALLY** – he got OLD. And he'll sure as FUCK get older.

End of rant.

On a side note, thanks to **anime/videogame freak, Cloud 9** and **Interesting1** for the reviews.


	8. Dreaming Of The Lost

Disclaimer: I doth not owneth Mortal Kombat.

* * *

Chapter Seven: Dreaming Of The Lost

Sub Zero noticed that Kenshi was beginning to perspire again. His lower lip was quivering and his hands shook as they slowly wrapped around his abdomen; the Swordsman was taking in quick breaths through clenched teeth as pain became visible on his face. The Lin Kuei saw the younger man gradually sink to the ground and hunch over, vomiting. Jax quickly went to his side as did Sonya and Cage, who picked themselves up from the dust.

This was all a sign; simply the reaction of the body to extreme fear. They were all going to die, regardless they tried to escape in vain or managed to stand their ground against the first few Tarkatans. Kenshi was holding the sides of his head now, groaning in anguish, leaving Sub Zero numb and lifeless. Shock had seized control of him and shut his nerves down, forcing him to stare at an old comrade losing himself to terror. The Korii Warrior narrowed his eyes, screaming on the inside to turn away but he could not. He could not save himself from watching another suffer.

A ball pushed itself up from his stomach and lodged into his throat, leaving a knotted depression growing in his bowels. Cold sweat dripped from the shelter of his helmet and down the bridge of his nose. Fear was tightening his grip on him and slowly dragging him into turmoil.

So they were all going to die?

Sub Zero felt like he had been stabbed right into his aged heart. He did not know how the others were each taking in this grave news, but right now, no one cared what another was thinking; Sonya and Jax... even they were solemn and lost as they tried to help Kenshi to his feet . Memories of their loved ones waiting their returns at home flashed before their eyes, screaming at them for breaking promises of returning well. They felt remorse for not being able to say final goodbyes or regret for not forgiving family. They would all die, and there was no way those dear to them could know about it. But they knew there was no one they could blame their deaths upon, no one they could curse because they had chosen themselves to accompany a mission in which death was inevitable.

They knew they were going to die even before they came to the Outworld, so why feel so bitter?

Reason was all that kept everyone from weeping or hurting another. All except for Sub Zero, only because he had no reason. No family, no friends, the only one he ever had was himself. And now, he was going to die as well.

It was not fair. He was already living a short life, then why take it away even before that? Why was he given no chance? Why was he given no opportunity to live those days he needed? All he had was his life and he was going to lose it as well...

All because of _him_...

"The Tarkata..." Nightwolf hummed with a lost heart. Heads slowly turned towards the mountains ahead of them, their initial haven as promised by Scorpion. They could see a vague blur rise above the rocks like heat; dust kicked up by the countless of scum that were rushing to maim the tiny band of heroes. Li Mei's lips formed a thin black line and her green eyes silently began to water. She too was quivering. Her Master quietly took her in his arms and stroked her hair for comfort.

Sub Zero turned towards the Shirai Ryu, feeling the ball tighten within his throat. He was playing the blame game again, the Korii Warrior tried to reason with himself but fear that was quickly transforming into anger would not allow himself to keep protecting the Ninja. There was no need to believe Scorpion was trying to aid them. No. It was _he _who had trapped them. _Him_. He was still out to exact his revenge and for that, ruled them out from the safety of the base and into the open where the Tarkata would be waiting to ambush them. Sub Zero understood it now; that feeling he had of something sinister, the lies he knew where hidden in Scorpion's words... they were now right in front of his eyes, exposed.

And he was gullible enough to trust that bastard with his short life.

Hatred and revulsion boiled inside of him, turning his arms into ice and forming swords between his crystal fingers. He was going to kill him; there was no way Sub Zero was going to let him escape if he was to die as well.

"... army!" he heard a female voice over the near deafening thumping of Sub Zero's heart. For a mere second, only the briefest of moments, he turned his gaze away from his rival. It was Jade who had shouted, pointing to the opposite direction. It was just as Nightwolf had said; Tarkata from every direction. They were cornered and were now truly feeling so. Sub Zero closed his eyes and breathed in a despaired sigh, feeling the anger suddenly dissipate when he understood that he and Scorpion were not the only ones that existed in this world. If he were to try and murder the Shirai Ryu, Sub Zero would need more than just a mere explanation to offer to his allies.

_Get a hold of yourself..._

Scorpion was just as trapped as everyone else, proof enough that he had not lured them out here intentionally.

Or what if he was in alliance with the Tarkata?

But then, he did say he had killed Baraka...

_He could be lying..._

"What?" Jax had piped up, his voice thicker but more hopeful, something which caused Sub Zero to open his eyes again.

"I can make out blocks..." Jade murmured as the Colonel approached her, squinting his eyes to see the dark line that was inching into the horizon.

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"By blocks, I mean divisions..." the Edenian continued in her quiet voice. Sub Zero slightly lowered his head, now listening intently but not turning around to see her. "That army is grouped into blocks... Tarkata do not adopt any formations..."

Briggs was silent now as was everyone else. Li Mei had recovered herself from her Teacher's embrace and was now staring at Jade, still sniffling, still wiping the tears from her eyes. It was hard to describe how they were feeling. The fact that there was still hope for survival managed to light up their hearts but their minds were mired in disbelief. How can it be possible that another force that was not Tarkatan was approaching them? They had no reinforcements and no allies in Outworld, then how could this be? And this still did not rule out the fact that this new army perhaps were in alliance with the Tarkata. Or what if, they were worse than them? Perhaps... it could be Quan Chi's own personal force...

They wanted to believe that they could live and also think against it as well...

Sub Zero felt the earth tremble beneath his feet. His head lowered further so that he could see the dust rise up and small pebbles dance by themselves. He looked up again to see that the Tarkata were nearer now. It would be only a matter of minutes before they would reach them... there was no time for escape now, even if they found a way. And there was no real guarantee for survival even if they turned towards the other army; enemy or not, they were going to get caught within the struggle either way. His eyes met Scorpion's who was also looking back at him, brows furrowed in disgust and revulsion. Giving him a long glare, Sub Zero turned his head to the right, trying hard to make himself believe that the Ninja did not exist.

"Move towards the others!" Jade had cried, already rushing the other way. Nightwolf and Jax preferred to protest but kept silent and rushed after the woman, having doubts that mirrored Sub Zero's. If they were going to die either way, then what difference did it make if they got killed by the new force? Cage scrambled to his feet, pulling Kenshi up with him and helping him limber across the parched sand, away from the approaching Tarkata. The Shirai Ryu hesitated long enough to stare fiercely at Sub Zero before taking a very slow pace and continuing forward. The bitter Lin Kuei too kept a steady walk only a few feet ahead of his rival.

"_Yuuche! Hateija 'a tobo yuuche! (The flag! We are friends of the flag!)_" the dark-skinned female had cried out. Reaching for her sash, she quickly untied it from her waist and removed her robe from her torso. She waved the cloth in the air, still shouting her alliance to the other army.

"Now that's something you don't see everyday..." Johnny whistled, pulling his glasses down to get a better view of the scarcely garbed Edenian, unaware of the disapproving glare the still tired Sonya issued towards him. Kenshi was now on his own support, racing with Cage though still slower than the others due to his sickness. By then, even the two rivals, Sub Zero and Scorpion, had picked up pace and were far ahead of the Swordsman and Blade, leaving only Johnny to purposely run beside the two to encourage their spirit.

"_Yuuche...!_" Jade's voice drifted away as they neared the already crawling army. Her eyes lit up the moment she recognized the flag, but it was Li Mei who had ensured that they had a chance to live another day. Sub Zero felt a relief wash over him when he heard the young girl say, "The Edenian flag...!"

Good...

Now he would be able to live his final years...

The well equipped force was quick to spot the stroke of green against the dull smokey colors of the Outworld. Jade almost cried out with happiness as a few from the cavalry separated from the main force and rode upon their beasts towards the group. Once in line, the men seemed to have recognized Jade and understood that the Forces of Light were allies. Relaxing her sprint, she stopped tossing her robe in the air and garbed herself back in it. The group of soldiers were swift to reach them and bowed their heads while still on their steeds to honor Jade.

"_Gasu Jaed! (Lady Jade!)_" one saluted and slipped off out of the saddle. Sub Zero was taken aback when he viewed the creatures those men were riding on. They were no mere steeds but muscular beasts with broad shoulders, claws protruding from their paws and teeth jutting out from their hideously black mouths. The beasts had small eyes set deep into their long muzzles and ears that were likely to be hidden within their magnificently patterned coats. The fur was a maroon red dotted with hues of pink, purple and blue stretching out across their hides, turning darker as the spots reached the rump. If it was not for their revolting mouths, these creatures, Sub Zero believed, would have been considered beautiful.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he peeked at Scorpion who was only a little distance to his right. The Shirai Ryu was solemn and decent, observing the animals intently as well. He saw him breath a sigh and then pause for a moment before he turned his head towards Sub Zero. The other narrowed his eyes with a short spark of hostility but looked away again. The Lin Kuei smiled underneath his guise, pitying himself that despite being bitter rivals, their habits were much too alike.

_But it was his brother who had been turned into a Wraith..._

Bi Han became something like Scorpion, did he not? So that would make them the same? Then who was Sub Zero's brother then?

Did Scorpion think the same?

The Lin Kuei scoffed and, turning away, shook his head.

How fucking stupid. He was just getting too excited about living another day, that's all.

"In the zone again?" the actor demanded from the slightly bewildered Korii Warrior, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts. The action star had patted him on his shoulder, urging him to walk forward. Almost every one had mounted a creature with the soldiers, some looking absolutely nervous and some, like Bo' Rai Cho and Li Mei, remaining complacent. The only ones that were yet to climb onto one were him, Cage and Scorpion. "Or are ya just chickening out?"

Sub Zero moved his eyes towards the heaving beast and shook his head in reply.

"I've dealt with worse in the Arktika..." he murmured before reaching for a saddle and hoisting himself up behind one soldier.

"You too?" Johnny demanded from the Shirai Ryu who had chosen not to give any response and quietly moved forward on foot towards the safety of the Edenian army. Cage turned his head, having been snubbed, and moved to the steed upon which Nightwolf was already seated. The soldier at the reigns reached towards him and pulled him up.

"Fucker..." Cage muttered, still eying Scorpion in distaste.

* * *

The beasts raged across the barren land returning to the main force and to safety. Sub Zero turned his head over his shoulder to find that the Tarkata were much nearer than expected. When Scorpion had warned them of their speed, the Lin Kuei could have never imagined how blindingly fast the savages were. There was no doubt why the Ninja wanted them to move out at the soonest possible time when he had first come to them... and all the time they had wasted in talk and squabbling. The Korii Warrior knew better than to wish for otherwise; despite all their inconveniences, there was no better luck than the Edenian army indirectly coming to their aid.

The archers were the first things to come into sight and it worried the Lin Kuei why they had already taken position, their bows and arrows ready at aim. The soldier pushed his steed to race faster, the creatures snarling in annoyance as the reigns tightened. Sub Zero noticed the Edenian banner up front, raised high above who seemed to be the commander of the army. The man was wearing a grotesque Oni mask which seemed to have been constructed of brass and heavy armor adorned his blue-green uniform, a very formal kimono. The commander looked to be a very small man with long black hair, a half plait tightly wound high at the hind crown of the head. The leader had a gloved hand raised, an order to the archers to remain in their positions at ready.

Sub Zero understood why the beasts were being made to rush back with such urgency; the Tarkata were already within range and the Forces of Light were delaying the attack. If they did not reach the main army in time, the Lin Kuei feared, the archers would have to rain arrows from the sky. Scorpion had probably reached the army using his teleportation... the bastard was in safer grounds already...

Sub Zero knew they were already too late. He watched as the small commander gestured his palm down at which thousands of bows released in one grand flick, orchestrating a dim song. Innumerable arrows flew into the sky, forming a black curtain once they reached the clouds and then turned to descend to the earth. The Korii Warrior lifted his hands in the air, forming a small canopy of ice that managed to cover both riders and the beast. Holding the weighty bulk in his palms, he looked over to see if the others had managed a way for protection. The Lin Kuei breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that Nightwolf and Kenshi had employed their skills to turn the arrows away from the remaining allies before they even came within a meter.

Screams now filled the sky as Tarkata fell one by one against the piercing arrows, but still rushed towards the Edenians in a mad frenzy.

The archers were quick to load and shot arrows at a closer range. Again a swarm of them fell upon the desperate Forces, the arrows clinking against Sub Zero's icy umbrella. More pained shouts, more cries of revolt and more Tarkata pressing forward. Another low attack and then a far ranged one, a pattern the Edenian archers continued to follow, effectively crushing numbers from within the enemy.

_Steady, old fool..._

Sub Zero blinked his eyes and then vigorously shook his head, trying to fight that same nausea that was engulfing him again. The screams began dying down and the whistles of the flying arrows became frighteningly afar. The weight of the ice sheet held above his head seemed non-existent now as did his heart beat.

_Start beating you stupid thing!_

He knew he was breathing; the cold fog still drifted away from his mouth, but he could not listen to his grated inhales and exhales. He blinked again, several times, trying to fight the coming darkness but it would not recede. The blackness slowly crept in from the periphery of his vision, quietly and without mercy, confining his sight until it felt like he was looking from a straw. The circle of his vision grew tighter and thinner, distorting the little colors he could mange to see and removing all sense of what was what. A lightness filled his chest, like wind underneath one who would be flying, a cruel sensation that strangely the Lin Kuei could not feel. But it was there, that nothingness that he was slowly falling into.

_Start beating..._

All was finally silent again.

* * *

"Enjoying your lessons?" his brother had chirped, his eyes crinkled at the corners as he gave him a broad grin. Liang replied with a stern glare, warning him silently not to laugh as he heaved his cramped body towards the steps where his sibling was seated. Liang could almost imagine himself as a hunchback or a troll the way he lumbered like a stiff board towards Han, wincing with every swing of his leg. Climbing the steps was even a greater test for he had to lift his limbs and suffer the pain that collected at his pelvic joints. Finally reaching his older brother, Liang carefully turned himself around, gasping and squeaking as he slowly lowered himself into a sitting position.

Han had taken a sudden hold of his shirt and pulled him down. Liang yelped loudly, jumping up and taking a hold of his behind no sooner had he fallen on the concrete step. He tried hard to get up, but in his already weak state, Han clearly had the upper hand and kept him seated on the steps.

"Han! You stupid bastard!" the younger brother cried, shooting one hand towards the older one and grabbing on to his collar. His arm went stiff and a throbbing pain now spread like fire from his elbows and shoulders. With a wince followed by another gasp, Liang was forced to let go and bear the embarrassment of having his brother laugh at him.

"Ah, don't worry...!" Han tried to comfort him after the cruel laughter subsided, patting his back to purposely make him yelp out again. "I cramped up too when I began training."

"I'd rather start mopping the floors again than this..." Liang muttered, cautious as he tried to move his arms about, making sure he did not swing too hard to cause the throbbing again. It was not long before he started to slow down, eventually stopping his exercise and hang his limbs between his legs so that the knuckles rested against the step below. His face softened, transforming his pained grimace into a depressed frown. He was now staring out at the paved grounds, watching with lost cause the snow slowly drift to the ground.

He was silent for a long moment, stirring a worry in his brother but Han kept ever so silent, waiting for him to share his troubles himself.

"Han..." the younger had whispered, the other sibling simply nodding in response despite the fact that Liang had not turned his face towards him. But his silent presence was enough for him to know that he was listening intently.

"I think..." Liang murmured, watching a snowflake float before his face. "... its happening to me..."

Bi Han refused to break his vow of silence and merely nodded, placing a palm on his brother's knee.

"What are we?" Kuai Liang demanded, turning to face Han, his eyebrows arched upwards in pure dismay, yet the older one kept his stern gaze. If he were to start worrying as well, there would have been little comfort for Liang to delve in.

Han averted his gaze to his hand and lifted it an inch above the concrete step, signaling with his eyes for the younger sibling to look down as well. Liang quietly observed the dazzling wisps of blue that rose from his brother's fingers like magic, hardening into a crystal ball. The older one looked up again, wearing an assuring smile.

"Gifted..." he answered and then got up to dust his leggings. He took to climbing up the remaining steps and returning to the temple, leaving his lost brothers still seated on the stairs. Han quickly formed another ball in his other hand, this time made of snow.

"And mischievous!" he called and, without giving his younger sibling anytime to react, smacked the handful of patted snow right on his back. Liang opened his mouth and let out an agonized shout.

* * *

"Sub Zero!" Kenshi cried, panting like an exhausted dog. The Lin Kuei's eyes flew open at the searing pain that suddenly shot down his shoulder and biceps. Sub Zero gulped for air, breaking free from his hysteria and whirled his gaze around. There was only Kenshi and a few Edenian soldiers that stood above him, examining him. Another was hunched next to the Swordsman, his arms reaching for the Korii Warrior's thigh. Bewildered, he lifted his head from the ground to see two arrow stalks protruding at an angle from his leg. The crouched soldier reached for one and pressed his fingers against the perimeter of Sub Zero's wound, pulling the thing out without even a warning.

The Lin Kuei yelled out in anguish, trying to pull himself up from the ground and take a hold of his gash but fell back again when pain from his shoulder and arm shot up again. Quickly turning to his untouched side, he brought his legs close to his chest so that he could examine the cut. It was deep enough, apparently, for Sub Zero to push his entire finger in. The soldier who had extracted the arrows tapped him lightly on his still sore bicep, sighing in boredom. He presented the wounded man with what resembled a small lump of coal.

"The arrows were poisoned," the Edenian bluntly explained, rolling his eyes and then sighing again. "This will help to counter it..."

The Korii Warrior, despite his injuries, lifted himself up in a sitting position and took the curious material from the stranger's palms. He twirled the object in his hand, observing it and then took a long look at the gash at his arm.

Poisoned arrows? So to say, this was a well thought out plan, Sub Zero mused. First the far range attacks that picked off rising numbers followed by two close range attacks that would exterminate the Tarkata that had escaped the initial attack. Any more that would survive even that assault would only be too few and could easily be dealt with by the frontal battalion. But the Edenians had taken precaution, the Lin Kuei smirked, tracing his fingers around the gash. Poisoned arrows meant that any that escaped with a mere brush would eventually die of the poison. Very clever indeed, and rather impressive, especially for the Edenian force, which the Lin Kuei recalled, could not defend itself from neither Shao Kahn nor Shinnok a certain time ago.

It was either the small commander's strategy that was worth its praise, or the obscure Kitana's restoration of the army that had resulted in such a strong force. The screams still filled the sky, but this time, the noise was accompanied by the sounds of clashing blades. A full out battle was in progress, and Sub Zero assumed that he and the remaining Forces of Light had been brought to camp. If he had not blacked out, then the Korii Warrior did not have to bother himself with assumptions. But for the moment, he had better things to worry about.

He looked up at Kenshi, whose face seemed more relaxed and rested now. The Lin Kuei had to resist shaking his head at his stupidity: of course the Swordsman was blind. He had no opportunity to see his ancient face, then why worry? Sub Zero reached from his mask and unlatched the guise before tossing it into his lap. Quickly, he popped the black lump into his mouth and grimaced at the chalky taste. It really was a piece of coal. Forcing himself to chew the disgusting the mineral, he managed to gulp it down his dry throat, almost gagging in disgust.

He had looked up at Kenshi for a moment and felt regret in doing so the moment he spotted the Ninja standing behind the Swordsman, his eyes wide with a mix of emotions which Sub Zero knew was anything but generous. Fear, disgust, shock, horror, fright... there were so many words and thoughts that circled through the Ice Warrior's mind, sapping all the energy from his limbs. All he could so was just stare back in shame as Scorpion recoiled from the shock of having seen his olden visage. The look in the Shirai Ryu's eyes all but told Sub Zero that he was freak.

_Laugh all you want..._

All the disgust that the Shirai Ryu's gaze issued was quickly absorbed by Sub Zero. Shame became replaced with hatred of himself and his distorted looks, an emotion strong enough that finally enabled him to turn away and hang his head so low that his chin met his collar. The Lin Kuei was practically seething now and had to induce great willpower from plunging a Korii Blade through the soldiers, though Kenshi, Scorpion and finally, himself.

Shaking away his thoughts with a jerk of his head, the Lin Kuei gathered his mask in his hand and strapped it back onto his face, uncaring how tightly he had wound it. He did not want to take the thing off ever again. Breathing profusely, he got up without a second glance towards Scorpion and walked away in an unknown direction, hoping to get lost in the thick of men that dotted the camp.

"Hey, its Super Subs!" Johnny had declared from afar, waving his hand in the air to get his attention. Nearby was Jax, seated next to an unlit bonfire. Hoping to get his mind off of things, Sub Zero did not mind paying heed to the rude action hero. "How'd ya like your little flying lesson?"

Sub Zero narrowed his eyebrows, confused.

"What?" he demanded.

"You fell off the were-dog... whatever it was... Kenshi sent you flying like a human torpedo into camp!" Cage declared, mimicking the movement with a slide of his hand at which Briggs chuckled heartily. The situation must have seemed amusing for them, but Sub Zero could not feel the same. He was much to busy wondering what had happened. According to John, he fell of the steed. But only the Lin Kuei knew what had really happened with him.

_You blacked out..._

No... Sub Zero knew he had not just lost consciousness. It was more than that... like he had been transported somewhere... far... somewhere... peaceful... a place in his memories perhaps...?

_You had dreamed..._

"And I would have preferred he had remained there..." a new voice piped up that to Sub Zero seemed awkwardly strange yet familiar at the same time. He turned around to find the officer in the Oni mask mounted on his steed, only a little distance away from the small group. The Lin Kuei scrutinized the commander, marveling how his small build was able to withstand the weight of all the armor he adorned. Beside the commander's beast stood important looking officers in more or less, similar armor, and Jade, wearing such a disturbed frown that the mere look threatened to send shivers down the Korii Warrior's spine. Her eyes were wide and hysterical, as if she had seen a ghost.

"The battlefield is not a place for the weak..." the Edenian officer continued, a voice Sub Zero realized was actually female which explained the ridiculously small build. But the sound was one which he recognized, perhaps a voice from his past. But who could this person be? His eyes traveled to Jade, taking note of her horrid expression, feeling a hint of a memory take rise. A memory which seemed far off and too distant for the Lin Kuei to immediately recognize. But the voice was one he had heard before. The officer had an alien accent no different than that of Jade, Bo' Rai Cho and Li Mei, but her tone seemed unbalanced, as if it did not fit.

Her tone, to him, was meant to be kind... not harsh...

He squinted, trying hard to look past the dark eye-holes of the ugly mask, spotting a glint of blue beneath the silhouette. Those eyes... there were a different kind of blue, a kind which he knew only belong to...

No... she was...

The woman quietly reached for the back of her head and untied the halter of her mask, letting the grotesque thing tumble off her face and dangle by the rope she still held in one hand. She slowly turned her ghostly blue eyes towards Sub Zero, the corners of her mouth almost twitching in upheaval for having to return to the Forces of Light again.

"No fucking way..." Cage muttered as he finally recognized Kitana, who dismounted the beast, her nose held high with ingratitude and arrogance.

She slowly observed each and every one of the men, taking careful notes of details that were known only to her. Sub Zero twisted his nose in horror as he took in the surprise, mentally shaking his head in disbelief that this frightful woman really was the Princess he had met more than a decade ago. This and the Kitana of the past were two complete opposites; although Sub Zero did not experience much of her attitude at first hand, but the change in physical appearance was drastic. The simple way she had garbed herself was enough to allow Sub Zero to assume that she was a tyrant... a villain.

This was _not_ Kitana.

"Are you the only survivors?" she questioned, her voice strict, firm and stoic. Her question was directed towards Briggs who was even more dumbfounded than Sub Zero to answer. The Lin Kuei was quick to issue a reply.

"No..." the Korii Warrior had said, losing his voice very quickly.

The Edenian narrowed her eyes before turning away towards the other end of the camp.

"Kitana...?" Sub Zero called, unsure whether she really was the woman he thought he was. She turned for a brief moment to acknowledge him; Sub Zero should have been satisfied that he was right all along. If She turned when he called her name, then there was no doubt that she really was Kitana. But taking a long look at her bitter frown and her cold cruel eyes, the Lin Kuei felt emptiness swell inside of him. Shock.

"_Empress_ Kitana..." she snapped. "Know your rank..."

With that, she turned away for good, disappearing into the sea of men that crowded the campsite, followed by Jade and her other companions.

"Kenshi...!" Briggs had called, prompting Sub Zero out of his daze and turn his head the way he had initially come from. The Swordsman was held up by two soldiers at either side, the same who had looked over Sub Zero when he lay injured. The youth was out cold, covering in a thick coat of perspiration, his hair heavy and glued to his forehead. The guards were literally dragging him towards Kenshi's CO, speaking of a seizure that had gripped the man before they were forced to bring him to them. The Lin Kuei watched as the unconscious blind man was lain on the ground, with Jax and a newly arrived Nightwolf hunched over him, checking for any vital signs.

The fits this time must have been intense that the Swordsman was knocked unconscious. The Lin Kuei shuddered as he thought of Scorpion but felt his assumptions were much too farfetched. Before the Ninja's arrival, Kenshi had displayed his first signs of sickness but he was healthy when he fought against him. He was particularly fine, despite being in Scorpion's presence. No... Scorpion had not caused such pain and discomfort to the young man.

Sub Zero gulped with dread as realization dawned upon him. He heaved himself nearer to the unconscious warrior like a ghost, observing with a lost mind the excess magic that rose from Nightwolf's hand, placed upon Kenshi's moist forehead. The ancient words slipped from the Shaman's mouth like a song that seemed suitable for a funeral, finally sending the shiver jolting through Sub Zero's body that he had worked so hard to suppress. There was no need for hiding his fear anymore... nothing made sense now; who to fear and who to make fearful of himself.

The Oni mask flashed through Sub Zero's mind, assuring his doubts. It was not Scorpion nor the Tarkata that were the cause of Kenshi's seizures...

It was Kitana...

* * *

A/N: Special mentions to

**Interesting1**: Glad that you are thoroughly enjoying the story and taking it as seriously as I am. Hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter. Oh, and first and foremost, thanks a bunch for the constructive review; I don't get a lot of those :P

**anime/videogame freak**: Hey thanks for the review mate. I'm certain the next chapters would really have you biting your nails.

**Anonymous**: No-name or whatever, you didn't even care to pick a name, but yeah, I agree... if you notice, the first couple of chapters are shit.

**Binary and Trance**: Glad that someone appreciates common sense. I just don't get why people think Sub Zero is a smexy fucker on par with Gackt Kamui under that mask.


	9. Whispering Secrets

A/N: Very graphic scenarios in this chapter, so if you are of a weak stomach then skip Jade and Nightwolf's conversation. Oh, and mega huge Author's Note at the end, so skip that too.

Disclaimer: Such a tedious thing to do; disclaimers...

* * *

Chapter Eight: Whispering Secrets

It had already been three days since their brush with death. For the others, time flew by as quickly as it was spent, leaving only Sub Zero and Scorpion to trudge along the lingering moments. Being forced into such a doleful living, every little second stretched on so far that the Lin Kuei could almost count them on his finger tips. Sub Zero would not waste a moment or two perhaps talking about the weather if he was not up to date with the political environment Jax and Johnny occasionally set up. He did not bother with the effort of simply being at Kenshi's side and inquiring of his well-being, maybe even providing the Swordsman with a lie that nothing was wrong with himself.

No.

Sub Zero made better use of his time simply wandering the halls of his new shelter, like a poltergeist looming an old ruin, searching without any knowledge the reason for his unrest.

It had been three days since Kitana had issued a single but effective battalion to escort the Forces of Light to the city of Lei Chen. It had been this morning that they had arrived, but Li Mei had initially protested against going to Lei Chen.

"The City of Slaves..." the young woman had muttered when Jade had first informed them of the new movement while they all rested in their camp, prior to leaving. Sub Zero was nearby, slumped in one corner from the exhaustion. He had taken the medicine a considerable while past the recommended frame. The poison only took minimal effect and the Lin Kuei was forced to bear with a swirling head and the heaviness that occupied his chest. He felt terrible, but the condition was far tamer than what he went through during his irregular black outs; he was healthy enough to hear every word and memorize the scene so dutifully that it played out like a stage performance when he remembered it.

"My sisters had been dragged to that slum when Shao Kahn took over Lei Chen..." Mei continued, her lips folding back into a bitter snarl. Her teacher slowly reached for her shoulder and gave it a gentle and assuring squeeze.

"The city is under Kitana's command now, child..." he murmured, earning a surprisingly fowl look from the green-garbed Edenian.

"And that makes it better?" Jade had suddenly burst out, boring holes with her gaze into Bo' Rai Cho's face. The Master was silent not because he was appalled at the woman's robust behaviour, but because he knew she needed a moment of silence to recollect her calm. And just as the wise Master had willed it, Jade's eyes grew large with a mix of embarrassment and frustration. She had quickly cupped her mouth with a hand hidden within her sleeve, looking around at the confused faces of the warriors that were gathered in the tent. Then, mumbling an apology in her native language, she turned around and fled from the tent, leaving many in their awkward isolation.

Sub Zero hated the silence. So many people had accumulated in that tent and not one would dare to even issue so much as a whisper. He wanted them to talk; make sure that the Korii Warrior was not fading again. But they kept their damned lips sealed, thinking that the quiet would heal the tension but it did not. It made it worse. It made everyone seem so vulnerable, so naked, so fucking prone to manipulation. Silence made it easy for someone to attack with words and leave the deepest of scars...

And that was exactly what Scorpion did to Sub Zero.

"What happened to you?" the Shirai Ryu croaked, towering above Sub Zero's hunched form and casting a shadow that would be very unlikely to exist in the already dim light of the tent. Scorpion was the last person he wanted to see, first person he wanted lying dead before him. After that little incident, all he wanted was the Ninja to just simply disappear; the only witness of his aged face to pop out of existence. The Ice Warrior looked up, brows knit in a deep and apprehensive furrow, his eyes glinting with malice. He clenched his teeth under his mask, mad how Scorpion thought he could just come up in front of him and ask him like it was the news of the day.

_It's not your fucking business!_

But Sub Zero was doomed. Scorpion would not go away. He would not just simply vanish into thin air, no matter how hard the Lin Kuei stared at him and neither would he feel intimidated enough to leave him alone. Sub Zero could not get up and walk out himself. That fucking poison... he was forced to sit panting and sweating like a diseased animal before his predator. In an instant, Scorpion was that same dragon he had seen back at the OIA base, cornering his weak prey.

"What..." the Ninja repeated, stepping up closer to Sub Zero's form, eyes narrowing the same way they had when he had seen the latter's face. "... happened... to you...?"

"Fuck off," Sub Zero had said, his frown growing when he noticed a movement along the edge of his vision. It was an Edenian guard who had moved in between the two, saving Nightwolf the effort; even those completely oblivious to the dark history between the two could easily identify the animosity that brewed on a very dangerous scale. The heat that rose from the exposed skin of the Ninja and the ice that slowly enveloped Sub Zero's arms were are all fine indicators that intervention was a necessity. That was when that blessed soldier came in, unnoticed as everyone had their eyes and minds fixed on the likely scuffle.

"The Empress has summoned for the leader..." the middle-aged soldier announced, stroking his scanty moustache with a finger, making sure that he somehow managed to occupy the little distance between the furious warriors. Johnny wasted not a second in announcing Sub Zero's name. The Lin Kuei, at first perplexed, then outright annoyed by the designation appointed to him, shot the movie actor a stabbing gaze. But the younger man was absolutely firm; unmoved. Everyone, perhaps besides him and Scorpion, did not dare to rebuke Cage's decision. They knew that to avoid a bloody brawl to break out, one of the two rivals had to leave. Despite his anger, Sub Zero understood that wisdom.

Nightwolf was immediately available at his side. The Shaman had pushed past Scorpion to widen the gap, making it look like he was just trying to find his way through. The poison kept the Lin Kuei from standing upright; he was forced to hold on to the fabric of the tent once his legs began to buckle from the weakness. For his help, Nightwolf took a hold of Sub Zero's good arm and tossed it over the nape of his neck.

"She would not mind if I come along?" the Native American questioned with a formal tongue. The soldier simply gave the man a long stare, as if scrutinising his appearance, and then walked out without so much as a nod of approval. But Nightwolf was not daunted. With pursed lips he aided the weak Korii Warrior to follow the Edenian where they had been summoned.

Sub Zero remembered very little of that walk to Kitana's personal tent, except a small discussion he had with his helping hand.

Nightwolf was one fellow who would never let his eyes, his expression or his body language say anything about how he felt or what he thought. It was not something he had been trained in, perhaps, but rather the talent was very natural to him. Although he had kept aloof about it before, but finding the Lin Kuei away from eavesdropping ears, he did not hesitate to tell him that something was wrong.

"It's the damned poison..." the Grandmaster had offered, breathing profusely as the mere act of walking was taking a toll on his stamina. He had obviously lied. Lies did not escape the Shaman... his voodoo – or whatever it was – allowed him to look into a man's soul even if he just touched a strand of hair. Sub Zero's statement was immediately followed by a sigh when he understood that lying was of no use. After a moment's pause, without even so much as a prompt from the Native American, the Korii Warrior had confessed that it was probably a side-effect of the Dragon Medallion.

"It is more than that, Sub Zero..." the Shaman had murmured.

What else could it have been?

The Lin Kuei meant to ask what the Shaman was implying but he did not utter a single word after that. He did not remember why, but assumed it was because they had already reached their destination.

The meeting was nothing short of awkward.

Uncomfortable.

Odd.

Ridiculous.

Crafty.

Yes... that was the word: _Crafty_.

Their little discussion was not to be private; in the tent, the Empress had accumulated all her generals, captains and commandeers. Sub Zero felt awful amongst so many new faces that he would probably be made to talk to. If that would be the case, then he would decide to remain secretive of any information Fujin had provided them to keep anything from leaking out. After all, by the looks of her men's faces, none of them seemed like they enjoyed Kitana's rule. If they would have the opportunity, then they would surely cause an uprising. And as a woman with enemies even amongst allies, dethroning her would be no trouble.

So why did they still follow her?

An image of Kenshi keeling over and vomiting all over the ground flashed in front of the Lin Kuei's eyes... a very gruesome memory indeed.

Was it because they feared her power?

Was it because they feared her wickedness?

"You are the one leading the Force?" the woman demanded once she lifted her head from her battle plans laid out before her. An officer had to announce the arrival of her guests after she refused to take note of the two men that had been standing before her for a considerable amount of time. No greetings, no formal acknowledgements, just a snide demand with a twist of her nose in disappointment when she realised Sub Zero was the one in charge of the Forces of Light. Sub Zero would have wanted to ignore her; never before had he seen such a distasteful woman in his life. Though she possessed of a beauty that only few in existence did, but the dark circles under her eyes, the painfully tight plait, the excessive armour and the disgusting frown of her lips, all made her so... _hateable_.

"Expecting something better?" Sub Zero had said through near-clenched teeth, feeling bile rise up in his throat. It was a rare instant for the Lin Kuei to feel both sick and frustrated at someone or something. With Scorpion, it was always fury. Nothing else. The only time he did experience such a feeling was a long time ago, back when he was still young at heart and at body. It had been during one of his earlier missions as a Lin Kuei assassin, a period of his life where hostility between the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei was at its high water-mark. After murdering a rival, the members of his team had tied the teenage daughter of the deceased man down, ordering him to take the first turn in stripping her of her dignity.

He had protested.

They had said that any woman of Shirai Ryu descent was a whore in the eyes of the Lin Kuei, so in the moments before her death, she should die as one.

He had refused again.

So his superior had pushed him to the ground and beat him until he had passed out. By the time Sub Zero had woken up, the girl had already been raped, beaten, tortured and had her intestines ripped out from her stomach. Sub Zero had screamed and then vomited, being jeered and laughed at by his blood-soaked companions. One had gotten up and tied an organ to the young Lin Kuei's neck, telling him that if he was to survive the Lin Kuei, the next time he should do as they told him. That was when Sub Zero had felt such disgust and anger boiling up inside of him.

The same was felt when he met Kitana. Of course, he had not seen her kill someone like that. He had not seen her gut someone and leave them to bleed to death. He had not seen her stand by and laugh as her followers raped a helpless woman. Sub Zero had not seen her do anything of the kind, but looking into her cold and hardened eyes, he felt like she had done everything inhumane she could to any innocent.

In an instant, he began to hate her.

She had cocked her head to her right, her gaze trailing up and down as she intently observed him, and then frowned in clear disappointment. Sub Zero knew that his mask, his clothes or his armour could not hide his olden body from every eye. No one had known that he was ancient; until he had taken his mask off, even Scorpion was unaware of his condition. As for Nightwolf and Kenshi, both warriors had not taken note of his rapidly ageing body, although their higher senses were enough to give them hints.

But Kitana...

One long look from her and the Grandmaster was sure that she knew he was too old to fight, much less assume the role of a leader.

"Yes," she had answered, rolling her eyes with a sigh. "But right now, you will just have to do..."

She waved a pale, bony hand at which everyone present in the tent cleared out, only them three to sort out their problems in such an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Sub Zero had cringed in utter horror and shock when he saw the next expression on the woman's face.

The creases around her eyes and the corners of her lips had softened, her brows relaxed and her lips curved into a beautiful smile. Her eyes shone brightly within the poor light of the tent, full of warmth and affection. She straightened her head but still retained a little of its lean, like a tired mother would lovingly gaze at her child. The change was much too sudden, and the Lin Kuei found himself shaking where he stood. There was not a hint of harm or repression in her stare, but the instant where she changed herself from a tyrant to an admirer felt like a stab in the Grandmaster's chest.

Confused, he slightly turned his head towards his companion. Nightwolf had narrowed his eyes at her, teeth threatening to reveal themselves. It scared Sub Zero. All the time, be it little, he had spent in the Native American's presence, the blue-clad warrior found himself amazed at the other's skill of hiding his emotions. The talent was effective and impressive. Whether he wanted to laugh or wanted to scream at someone, the Apache never removed that stone expression from his face. But this woman – Kitana – she was successful in bringing out the true nature of the Ice Warrior's companion.

The Lin Kuei, though, was well informed why the Shaman felt so apprehensive.

She was just wearing that face. There was no love, no affection, no understanding in her gaze. It was just a ruse; a mask to fool them into thinking of her otherwise.

And Nightwolf understood every bit of that.

Because no matter how hard she could try it, she could not hide her wicked soul from the Shaman's gaze.

And Sub Zero also understood that neither were _they_ hidden from her.

That was why Sub Zero now thought of that conversation as crafty. There may have been no genius from his and Nightwolf's end, but it was the Empress who had squeezed out every apprehension, every doubt from them by simply toying with their minds. A change of face caused the Shaman and him to irk... the Lin Kuei knew that Kitana had learned just that much from simply watching their reactions.

"I trust Jade has already informed you of the proceedings?" she had asked, her voice almost dripping with honey. Sub Zero imagined it was poison. "It is a two day travel to the city, longer if you would want to recollect provisions from your previous base. I strongly oppose to that, however, since Lei Chen would possess everything of your need. But if it is that Earthrealm technology you wish to recover, then do so..."

"We would prefer to travel according to our own interests," the Lin Kuei had offered, knowing too well that allying himself with a woman he was sure had nothing but corrupt intentions would only entrap them. Nightwolf was silent, an indication that he agreed. If there had been any doubts in Sub Zero's decision, the Native American would surely have protested. "Lei Chen would be too conspicuous. Our enemy will be sure to attack."

"But you are too narrow minded, _Yasei_," the woman implied, using a word in her own language which Sub Zero did not know the meaning of. "Lei Chen is an obvious target, which is why I had it fortified years ago. Even in the case of an attack, the City's defences are highly effective; it is safer than anywhere else in the Outworld."

"And you will accompany us?"

Kitana chuckled; a low rattle that sounded like a song through a slightly larger smile.

"Not this soon. I and my army will proceed further while I assign a personal force to escort your group to the City."

"What do you need to travel further for? You had the Tarkata disposed of."

"I believe you have no right of interest to my agenda in battle."

"I have every right, Empress..." Sub Zero had muttered, lowering his head to issue a fearsome gaze. She remained unfazed. "You have gotten involved in our conflict, you are obligated to keep me informed of any decision you make..."

For a moment, she was silent. And then, she laughed like she had done before, shaking her head.

"No," she had said, never taking that affectionate grin off her face. She leaned forward, placing her gloved hands on the face of a map. "_You_ have gotten involved in _my_ war..."

Finally, after minutes without protest, Nightwolf finally placed a calloused hand on the Grandmaster's shoulder. He turned to look his way, receiving a nod from the other; the Shaman would have an explanation for his disagreement, which the Lin Kuei never requested for in the past three days. Back then, he assumed that the Apache had seen through the soul of the Empress. She was probably honest in her offer, or she was correct about the Forces of Light meddling in her affairs. There could have been any answer; whatever it was, it was authentic enough to change the Shaman's opinion.

He could see her soul, after all.

By the time the two had returned to their own tent, Scorpion was gone and missing which brought relief to the Lin Kuei at that time. As for Kenshi, the Shaman had brewed him some curious concoction that helped the blind man keep his calm with the nearby presence of the Empress. He was feeling much better now and found strength returning to his limbs. The two, though, kept quiet about the most part of their meeting with Kitana; all Nightwolf had said was that they were to go to Lei Chen, and they were to leave the latest. No one voiced any dislike against the movement, no one stood up to argue. They quietly nodded in agreement.

Li Mei, though silent, nursed a scowl all the way to the City.

* * *

It would have taken nearly two and half days to reach their new haven, with Scorpion and Jade also joining them; Briggs and his subordinate had opted to stop by at the OIA Headquarters to gather required equipment midway, making their trip last longer. Sonya had already tossed away all the food that she had carried in her bag to make room for other things, despite the fact that the escorts carried most of it on their own steeds. Lei Chen would have its own, fresh and exotic meals to fill her stomach instead of the stale edibles stored in cans. She, however, retained some coffee and a small carton full of many packs of cigarettes.

"Death'll be easy to come by if I smoke one of these..." she had said, popping one in her mouth and lighting it with a zippo which was running out of fuel.

"Even though these things kill you anyway," Johnny had implied rather sarcastically.

"Hey, either you go 'SPLAT!' under a boulder or get terminal lung cancer; your pick..."

"But you're dead both ways...!"

"I know..." she said, releasing a column of smoke from her mouth. "But it looks fucking badass with the first option."

"You're not serious, are you?"

"What? Fuck no! I'm every bit as serious as I'd be!"

"In that case, can I have one of those when I'm dying?"

Blade gave the movie star a long look. Not one full of annoyance or anger, but a thoughtful one.

"Okay, here's the deal," she exclaimed, lifting a pack in front of Cage's face. "If you're first, you'll get to smoke one before you see the light. And if I die first, you inherit all of them."

"Deal," the action hero declared, taking her hand in a mutual shake to seal the agreement.

* * *

It was morning when they had arrived. The sun was slithering into the sky like it had been doing so since the past four days they had come to the Outworld. By now, Sub Zero stopped marvelling the morning sky's resemblance to the flower shaped Kamidogu. The magenta sky in the days and the pitch black of the nights always made it seem like Outworld was forever cloaked in the darkness. Even in the noon, when the sun was meant to shine its brightest, the streets were always lit, torches would be ablaze in houses and people had to carry a flame wherever they went. It was the forever brooding clouds that denied them light. There was no real agriculture, no abundant plants of any kind anywhere, only sparse scrubs or leafless forests; Lei Chen thrived from its metals mines that dotted the mountains surrounding the City. The people only fed on meat; fish from a nearby basin and mammals from the woods.

Life, though so restricted and chained, was still enjoyed by the residents of the City. That morning, Sub Zero had witnessed a gathering in the main market where a round and unkempt man stood upon a pedestal, declaring an anthem of the good Edenian rule had brought to them in the past few years. There was nothing that the Lin Kuei could understand, but Master Cho had gladly briefed him on what was happening. The speech could have been longer, he was unsure, but the moment the Master had told him, the Korii Warrior immediately left the place.

That was perhaps the only level of activity he had within the City. There were so many people around him, that Sub Zero had limited his movements drastically. Often he did tag alongside Bo' Rai Cho due to his lack of understanding of the native language of the realm, but that was as close he was getting to anyone he knew. Even Scorpion became an element in the periphery of his life here at Lei Chen. Seldom did the two cross paths and if one would see the other approaching him, he would immediately take another course. This game of hide-and-seek was enough to keep them both preoccupied since neither warrior chose to socialize. Besides that, Sub Zero had a different agenda on his mind.

After hours of useless wandering and coming to places he had already familiarized himself with, the Lin Kuei decided that he should discuss matters with Nightwolf. He was curious to find out the reason for the Shaman's change of mind during his arguments with Kitana. What had he seen, what had he felt, what had he thought when he decided that the Empress had the upper hand in the talk and chose to agree to her proposal?

It had been a tedious effort to look for the Shaman – Sub Zero did not ask anyone if they had seen where he was; it would seem too suspicious – but he eventually did discover the man seated on the steps of a sparring ring beyond the doors to the room. He was about to walk up to the other and ask him of his concerns when he noticed another figure beside him. The stark green of the other's clothes suggested that it was Jade who accompanied Nightwolf. The Lin Kuei thought about leaving, but the moment her crying rang in his ears, he decided to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I want to run away...!" the woman sobbed, her shoulder's quivering as she lowered her head into her lap. "It is a demon wearing her skin!"

"Don't be so rash..." Nightwolf had sighed, using his trademark expressionless voice.

"Rash?" Jade cried, looking up at the man with bloodshot eyes. "I know a monster when I see one!"

The Shaman was silent, not even bothering to look her way. Jade welcomed the silence; it gave her time to wipe her eyes with her sleeve and collect some composure.

"The Tarkata are enemies, I agree..." she said, turning away and now looking into her lap. "There was a female she had captured..."

Sub Zero assumed the Edenian was talking about Kitana.

"Her belly was full. She had the Tarkatan kneel before her. She promised her that she would not harm her if she would tell them of any other Tarkata concentrations. The female refused... several times... And Kitana's smile grew... said that it would hurt her to kill her unborn..."

Sub Zero felt bile rise up his throat again; he could feel the bitter taste on his tongue.

"How long could the Tarkatan refuse? Kitana kept forcing her until she broke down... started crying... and then told her of another army... and-and... that _villain_... she kept smiling!"

The Lin Kuei gripped his belly, squinting as a pain gathered in his abdomen.

"I saw her... I saw her reach for her sword..."

He hunched over, now on his knees. He quickly removed his mask, feeling heat gather within his helmet. Sweat coated his white skin, dripping down the bridge of his nose and his chin.

"And I watched the foetus spill out! It was writhing! The damned thing was writhing! And all I did was watch the child squirm before Kitana smeared it under her own foot! I watched! I watched and I did nothing about it!"

He felt the fluid surface from his throat.

"And she stuffed it! Kitana stuffed it back into the damned corpse!"

His stomach gave way and the contents gushed from his mouth, forming a sickening puddle on the ground. He gasped and then heaved again; his body trembling before he rolled to his side and fell unconscious.

* * *

By the time it was the next sunrise, the main Edenian force had finally entered the City. Sub Zero had remained in bed after he was found by Nightwolf and taken to a room. He could have slept the whole morning but the shouts and chants that erupted from nearly every street in the City prevented him from doing so. He and the Forces of Light were given accommodation in the main palace; a building that looked down upon the main gates and the city square. He leant from the balcony, taking a position next to Cho so that he would blather to himself about what they were all saying: a very annoying habit, but a very useful one.

It was when Cho announced to no one in particular that it was the Empress's battalion that had made the entrance. His face blanched, hidden by his mask as he remembered Jade's words from the previous day.

People had flooded the streets, only dispersing to make way for the force to move further past the swaure and approach the main fort. At the forefront, two men held a banner with two generals and the Oni taking lead. Sub Zero clenched his teeth when he saw the woman bow while still on her steed as a token of humility, humbleness and devotion. He scoffed, thinking how foolish these people were to declare her their saviour. She most probably took over this city as part of her conquest, providing an excuse that she was here for the betterment of everyone.

But the Lin Kuei knew better...

He scrutinised the bronze Oni mask that gleamed in the luminance of the streetlights.

He knew that it was no mask that Kitana wore...

It was her goddamned face...

Sub Zero turned around, leaving Bo' Rai Cho with no ears.

* * *

No one was ignorant of the red stains on her robes. Whichever way she had dealt with her 'war', the Grandmaster was sure that she struck fear in the hearts of her enemies... and her allies. The colour was deep, almost black with the excess that had splashed upon her clothes. It only signified murder. It was not required. The amount of blood on her clothes was proof that her enemies had shed more than what any normal wounds would have allowed to flow. It was unnecessary... Sub Zero could almost imagine the way she killed them, hacking and ripping their bodies apart even though there was no life left in them for her to take.

Or she could have danced.

Yes, that thought seemed to make much more sense. A woman as mad and cruel as her would only dance in a pool of blood.

"You seem to have an interest..." he heard her sneer, prompting him to jerk his head back up to meet her face. She was smiling, nothing like the warm kind she employed when she felt like confusing him, but one which showed every bit of her true nature. Her pupils had contracted leaving only the blue of her eyes and her grin had stretched so far across her porcelain face that she began to resemble a frightening puppet. Sub Zero tried hard to provide her with an excuse, make her believe that he had not caught on to the fact that the amount of blood that coated her dress and armour was abnormal, but he could not. Words did not form as his mind failed to conjure a reasonable explanation.

What was more embarrassing was that he was stuttering.

"Speak up..." she ordered, tilting her head as she neared him, still adorning that psychotic gaze. He found himself retreating, surrounded by horrified faces who could all but watch as Kitana made her approach to the Lin Kuei. His hands began to freeze over out of instinct, finding the Empress's presence threatening. If provoked, Sub Zero could attack her without a second a thought.

Her eyes shot a glance over her shoulder to an object that seemed far more interesting to her than the Grandmaster. He was thankful to whoever it was in the heavens watching down upon him for the distraction. Well... at least the gratitude lasted until he heard her next words.

"Ah...! I see a new face amongst you..." she sighed, suppressing a subtle laughter.

Sub Zero held his breath as he turned around.

_Please let it be someone other than him..._

The Lin Kuei turned to look over his shoulder and surely enough, standing under the archway was a much reviled figure clad in faded gold. Despite nursing any goodwill against either people, the olden warrior had a feeling brewing deep in his gut that their meeting was not one he should be happy about. One was a corrupted soul out for his enemies' blood and one was a lunatic who would let heads tumble if she wanted to. So to say, both were dangerous people in their own regard and having them together in one room could lead to a very explosive situation.

But fright – and even more so hatred – compelled no one to interfere. Everyone, including Sub Zero, stood by and watched as Kitana now turned towards her newest victim. For a moment, the Lin Kuei felt like Jade, helpless to stand and do nothing as the Empress did her worst.

_Calm down...!_

"I've seen you before...!" she exclaimed, gasping with excitement. "Oh...! _Now _I remember...! You were one of Shinnok's lackeys..."

Scorpion squinted, finding himself at a discomfort.

"And an _enemy_ is allying himself with us?"

"I am not _your_ ally..." Scorpion prompted, straightening himself.

"I see... I see... then would that mean if I killed you right now, I would not have done anything wrong, seeing that you do not choose to side with me...?"

The Shirai Ryu blanched, his legs against his own accord taking a step back as Kitana lifted her hand. Sub Zero's eyes widened, taken aback at the prospect of the Edenian Royalty trying to murder a tentative comrade right before their eyes. He looked over to Scorpion, trying to assure himself that there was no way she would dare do such a thing. The Ninja was skilled and deadly, far stronger than the frail looking Empress; there was no way she could stand up to him, the difference was not all that shrouded. Even she could see that! A fight with the Ninja would be suicidal!

"Please don't!" the Grandmaster blurted out, surprised himself why he would try to defend his own nemesis. Was it because it was Kitana who was worst between the two? Or was it because Scorpion was innocent?

_Or was it because he would be the only one to kill his brother's murderer?_

She was staring at him, her smile now a hideous frown.

"Disturbing..." she murmured after moments of silence. "Disturbing how you would resort to seeking help from the very people we need to kill..."

"He is no enemy!" the Lin Kuei cried out, feeling his heart about to break through his ribs. He could feel the Spectre's gaze on his back... the feeling made him want to just close his eyes and fall through a hole opening up beneath his feet.

Never in his life had Sub Zero thought he would actually try to protect Bi Han's killer. It was a farfetched idea, something which he had discarded as a stroke of madness. He did remember he had told the Ninja the truth about his own miseries; how Quan Chi had murdered whatever he cared for and put the blame on the Lin Kuei and Han. But he had no sentiments when he revealed the Sorcerer as the real source of Scorpion's curse. No. Sub Zero was merely trying to save his own skin and clear the stain of corruption that tainted his sibling's legacy. It was for his and his family's sake, not for Scorpion's.

But now, when faced with no death, when standing not amongst a war, when not staring into the eyes of his killer, why did Sub Zero speak up for the sake of his rival? Why did he want to protect him from Kitana?

The Empress's scowl deepened, but this time, looked more bored than murderous. She scoffed, something which everyone heard before turning to leave.

"I do not have time for your absurdities," she announced, her walk having become ever so graceful, like a koi fish would trail in shallow water. The change in her behaviour was often so abrupt that it always confused Sub Zero. It might be a valuable asset on the battlefield though; the opponent must never be allowed to predict the next move.

"Don't call that an absurdity which you have no knowledge of!" the Ice Warrior continued, fighting to swallow the ball that lodged itself in his throat. "Scorpion has been of great aid by already killing Baraka!"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

The ball seemed to have grown twice t size, making it very difficult for him to gulp it down.

"What... did you say?" she demanded without turning around, her voice clearly full of disbelief.

"He did not stutter, woman..." Scorpion answered for the Lin Kuei.

She turned around, her face holding nothing but shock and awe; her eyebrows arched up so high that they nearly disappeared within her hairline. This time, there was no mistaking that she really was taken aback. She could make it seem like she hated something to the extent of cursing about, or adore something like an intimate lover. She had done so when she had met with him and Nightwolf in camp days ago, but it had not taken the two long to note the false glimmer in her eyes. But this time, the fear was real, there was no doubt about it.

"He..." she rambled and then looked Scorpion's way. "You possibly can't have..."

"I have..." he replied, his voice growing heavier.

She kept on staring at him before turning to the Grandmaster and then back, mired in disbelief.

"You- " she began but abruptly cut off. Her face softened, making her seem like she possessed of wisdom on par with Bo' Rai Cho's. With half-lidded eyes, she gave the Ninja a ghost of a nod before leaving.

Watching her leave filled the Lin Kuei with great relief. He smiled to himself, knowing that this marked the end of any conflicts between Kitana and Scorpion in the future.

* * *

"What is it?" he cried, trying to shout above the voice of the pouring rains. The shower did nothing to hide the Edenian's tears as she slowly sunk to her knees before finally breaking into an agonizing howl. He hunched down next to her, placing his crystal finger on her bare shoulders and shaking her back and forth. He kept screaming at her to answer him, but all she did was wail louder against her hiccups. His pale eyes bulged from their sockets with fury, the ice now travelling to the woman's collar.

"I LET THEM DO IT!" she screeched, clawing her own cheeks with her fingers.

"Jade, _what happened!_?" it was Li Mei who demanded from the hysterical woman, wiping the rain water off of her face.

"THEY...!" the green-garbed warrior bellowed, her face turned towards the darkened sky. "THEY...!"

"_Jade!"_

"THEY TOOK HER AWAY!"

* * *

A/N: Yesh, all done for now. Okay, on to providing a decent explanation to a certain reviewer *cough-cough*!

**Interesting1**: Firstly, I would like to say your review(S) made me lol. I didn't know you could actually get so worked up over a simple little fan fiction! Well, I shouldn't be one to complain though since it means good news to me. Anyhoo, let's move on to the proceedings.

Review 1 – I don't know anything about my chapters being 'well-crafted'. I only write them the way I see fit. There's not a lot of thought process in how I carry the chapters (note the first five chapters and see for yourself how shitty they are). It's not like I'm doing anything that randomly pops into my mind. I've been preparing and thinking over this story over a period of five years, so yeah. Okay, I've mentioned Scorpion and Sub Zero (K.L) as rivals from the perspective of their clans. He's a Shirai Ryu and he's a Lin Kuei and so forth. Oh, and the name thing... this is a long one. I've assumed that Bi Han and Kuai Liang are complete names. That so because the d00ds over at Lin Kuei central decided to name them as such since they had them kidnapped when they were still in diapers. It's not like the Sub Zero-napper would have asked the parents what their real names were before jumping into his pimp-my-ride Mercedes (forgive me if I'm being a retard again). Secondly, I've referenced Mortal Kombat Wikia that suggested that the last names are the first names if romanized or whatever, similar to how we are used to Hanzo Hasashi, however the Japanese equivalent would be Hasashi Hanzo. In case of Bi Han, Han would be his first name and Bi would be the last. Again, the two brothers have different last names because the higher ups at the Lin Kuei were on crack and were too damn lazy to give them matching last names. And yes, this is a Scorpion and Kitana story, as you will find later on.

Review 2: (My hand hurts) Stay tuned for further stabs, jabs, tears, fears, madness, sadness, wrecks, sex and I don't know what else that I'll put in here to make my readers cry (I hope!)

Review 3: Yes, Sub Zero is doing this to himself purposely. As for Kenshi, the same applies here. The Swordsman really was Sub's best friend, but if you note (I doubt you miss anything), Sub Zero does state that he doesn't need to get involved with Kenshi anymore. He left his friends, and even close ones like Kenshi need to be abandoned as well.

Review 4: Now, Sub Zero is referencing his brother as Han because... well, he's his brother. The dude doesn't need to use a formal tone to talk to his own flesh and blood! I mean, it would have been really awkward if Sub Zero was like "Big Brother! You insolent bastard!" or "Bi Han! You dim-witted illegitimate!". That would just be weird by my standards. The name splitting is no misuse on my part. I'm just doing what Wikia says. It's not like I'd write this without any research (though my own knowledge of the game puts any other fan in my country to shame). As for the 'floor mopping' dialogue, I'm just hinting at Kuai Liang's life before being chosen for proper training at the Lin Kuei base. For a further hint: Bi Han had greater privileges than the younger sibling.

Hope I cleared things up. I dread having to make another mistake and answer to you, oh great one! *prostrates before thou*

And now, moving on...!

**Binary and Trance**: Thank you very much mister/miss/lolwut? Glad that you managed to review again; it's the feedbacks that are fuel to my fictions, so I appreciate the time you take to read and provide your thoughts. Hope I don't disappoint you in the near future C:

**Mr. Havik**: Yeah... I reviewed myself. My system of doing error checks is to post my fictions then come back DAYS later so I have a fresh mind before I read for any errors, and apparently, I decided to do this the quick and easy way by clicking on the story's link. I guess this is what happens when you read too many fictions at the same time and want to review. It was awful enough that I spazzed out for reviewing myself that I didn't leave the Metal Gear fan fic I was reading a darn feedback. Yeah, that's a fail on my part. So sue me...

This shit should have been a separate chapter on its own -_-


	10. Shedding The Skin

A/N: Its a bloody short chapter. So sue me.

Disclaimer: fgsfds.

* * *

Chapter Nine: Shedding The Skin

That morning was a frightening experience. He thought he could be glad that he was awake another day, but that incident had left him nearly traumatized. He blinked several times, wondering whether it was the sun hitting his eyes that had disturbed him from his sleep. It was a rather trivial thought, he agreed to that now, but that morning it had seemed like it was the most important question in the world to him. He did not move besides opening his eyes and simply laying there to wonder. By the time his train of thoughts had passed, he could hear the chatter of locals from outside his window. It was nearly noon – only the sea of voices could tell – and Sub Zero decided that he should get up already.

He slipped his legs over the bedside and heaved himself up; stretching the paining arm he had slept on. He looked towards the window, seeing the unusually dull purple sky and the spires of the palace jutting up in their attempt to pierce the heavy clouds. It was sparse, but it still completed the scenery. A cold wind was blowing in, and the Lin Kuei was sure it would rain in the evening. He sighed, grabbing a hold of his vest before taking a step to pick up his remaining garments from the floor. With the second touch of his foot on the cold, stone floor, he found himself against the weightlessness of the chilly breeze before being greeted by the earth.

The impact did not hurt him, but that alone sent his heart into a fearful frenzy. He could feel the blood pulsing through his body, he could hear his frantic heartbeat, yet he lay like a dead corpse on the floor. He tried to lift himself up but his arms – several times –, despite the blood flowing though them, remained limp at his sides. The sounds of the masses outside that room were growing silent quickly and Sub Zero was sure that whatever it was that kept thrusting him into his nightmares so infrequently was doing it again. Out of terror, the only thing that made sense to him was to scream out loud for someone to hear before he became unconscious.

If only that scream would escape.

His mouth agape, Sub Zero forced every single breath in his lungs to make at least the tiniest of sounds but all that came out was a hiss. His chest felt like it could collapse under the pressure and his throat became so thick that it became harder for him to inhale than to exhale. When the blackness started to invade his vision, he squeezed his eyes shut and breathed in for one last scream.

It was not a scream, but more of a gasp. A very agonizing gasp, but it managed to save the Grandmaster this one time. He was hyperventilating, and with nerves finally restored to his body, he turned himself on his back to stare up at the ceiling, panting and shaking. It had been moments before he recovered; it was only when he felt something warm against his cheeks was he jolted back to his senses. Confused, he sat upright on the floor and reached for his face, feeling the moistness rapidly turning cold. His fingers slowly traced up to his eyes and he smeared them across his scar.

His eyes were wet.

It was now that he understood that his tears were what he needed to think about then, not the sun in his eyes. But that morning, nothing made sense. He was too frightened to think straight anyway.

After a moment of staring at his frosted fingers, he got up to change.

* * *

"Oh, I appreciate that..." she had responded to the Master, sliding her fingers into each other before resting her elbows on the face of the map lying on her desk. Sub Zero eyed the parchment, wondering why she had it there any way; it was brighter than what the expiring bulbs at the OIA base gave, but the luminance the sole candle provided was too poor for reading. He looked back up at her again to scrutinize the devious smile she wore, only to feel a pit welling up inside his stomach after he realised that her eyes were on him. It had been a momentary glance, but she had timed it perfectly. The Lin Kuei turned his face away to stare at Jax's boots instead.

"But I rather not discuss any important details amongst people I do not trust..." Kitana ended the statement with a tired sigh. Someone shifted, another one coughed, everyone was uneasy with her accusations. Hardly three days with her had filled everyone's hearts with venom against the Empress. Just the previous day, during one of his rambles did Bo' Rai Cho mention how disappointed he was to see how Kitana had assumed the role of the Ruler of Edenia. There may be good that he could see with his own eyes, but the Master had said that behind it all was her corrupt hand.

Sub Zero gulped before praying – to whomever it was whom he could call his god – that he could manage his own while he was in the woman's presence. He had a feeling that if he did just once black out right in front of her, she would stab him with her cruel taunts. He did not like her. It was a fact, plain and simple. No one did. To descend into the cold darkness yet again would only bring him misery once his consciousness would resurface and he would have to bear with her incessant jibes.

He had, of course, not exactly recovered from her initial attempt at breaking his sanity. It took him a while to figure it out, but once he did find Jade in a non-descript mood, he had asked her what the word _'Yasei'_ meant. Kitana had called him that a week ago when they had that horrible meeting at camp. It was something that Sub Zero had chosen to ignore that day, owing to his sickness during the talk, but curiousness surfaced soon enough. Seeing the disgusted expression on the green-garbed Edenian's face, the Lin Kuei was sure that whatever it was that the Empress had called him, it did not mean anything good.

Jade had demanded why he would want to know of such a thing. He would have lied, but no believable excuse came to him and so he was silent for a moment before he told her to disregard his reasons. She was hesitant. But what she had revealed to him was devastating.

_Yasei_.

'Corpse' in the traditional language of the Outworld.

To Kitana, this meant, Sub Zero was not ageing. In her eyes, he was already dead.

He could never forgive her for that. It was a stab at his pride, a slaughter of what remained of his resolve. He had thought several times of tearing into her room and strangling her till she would turn as blue as ice. No one would protest, he was sure. Possibly everyone wanted to do away with her, one way or another. And he really would have attacked her if Kenshi had not noticed that he was exceptionally furious that moment. It had taken a great effort on the Swordsman's side, but the Korii Warrior had managed to drink down his rage.

'For another day...' he had told himself, taking a deep breath. He would wait for a time until it would be a favour for the gods to kill her.

"Take a moment from your dull dreams and pay attention," he heard her snap at him, causing him to close his eyes and take a deep breath to relax himself. He slowly lifted his head and then issued her a gaze that let her know that she was being acknowledged.

_For another day..._

"I want you all prepared and armed," she was announcing the plan through clenched teeth, emphasizing every word like she was talking to an inattentive child. She only earned a hard stare from Sub Zero. "My battalion, numbering at twenty-eight, excluding myself and General Somato, will be advancing forth from Lei Chen two hours from now. I expect for you and your group of misfits to be ready by then."

"Wait," it was Briggs who piped up, eyes furrowed in confusion like almost everyone else's. "You expect to carry out an operation in _this_ kind of weather? You crazy?"

"It is not your bleeding opinions I asked for," she growled back, her jaw tightening with rapidly rising anger. "It's a damn order!"

"You fuckin' out of your _mind_?"

"Do not push me beyond my limits, you filth!" she bellowed, pushing back her seat as she took a powerful stance in front of the Special Forces veteran. "_I_ govern this city, and so long as all of you are here, _I_ have power over you! I can declare you all criminals at will and have you skinned alive in public, and no one will dare to ask! Do _you_ understand, _Colonel Jackson Briggs_?"

Silence loomed inside the room like a death sentence laced heavily with vengeful hate. No one dared to speak, let alone shift from their spots, the very submissiveness of the Forces of Light proof of Kitana's victory over them. She blinked softly before an arrogant smile graced her porcelain face. Sub Zero had heard a low chuckle from her – he did not know if anyone else had also heard it – and watched her descend back into her chair, propping her elbow on the armrest so that she could cradle her chin with her skeletal fingers.

"Is it not good that we now see eye to eye?" she demanded, now her lips poised between a laugh and a smile as a humiliated and disgusted Jax stormed out of the room without giving her an answer. The reactions were slow, but one by one, the warriors came back to their senses and also turned to leave in uncertainty and frustration.

"Not you!" she suddenly called to which, out of instinct, Sub Zero halted his steps.

"Oh no, _Yasei_..." Kitana said, causing him to wince when she used that name again. "I mean your friend..."

The Grandmaster's eyes widened and he turned around to look back at the horrid woman. She was smiling ever so coyly, ever so bitterly. The very look on her face was enough to tell Sub Zero that she did not mean well. He paused for a long moment before he looked to his right to see Scorpion, almost out of the exit but now standing in between. He had heard her demands. The Lin Kuei noticed the Spectre's fingers digging so hard into the wooden frame of the door that his nails were growing white.

A new, deeper and broader pit carved into the Ice Warrior's stomach as he left the room and Scorpion behind him.

Sub Zero knew that Kitana did not have any clean intentions with the Spectre. He could only pray that ill did not come their way, for whatever conversation the two would have, the Lin Kuei would never know.

* * *

He was becoming sure that he was not the only one who was suffering from that unknown disease. In the evening, when they were already travelling to that mysterious battlefield where Kitana and her pathetically small fleet of soldiers were leading them, the Grandmaster realised that there was another who shared his troubles. And like his own, what exactly was that happened to Li Mei was unidentifiable. Her condition though seemed far more severe compared to Sub Zero's. He could not exactly say otherwise; it could be anything.

Everything had seemed fine as they travelled onwards until Mei had begun to gasp and wail. He was not too close by, but from where he and his steed were, he could see the young woman spasm and jerk like she had been possessed before she dropped to the ground. Worried and shocked, several had quickly dismounted their steeds and went to her aid, but it was her own Master who came to her first. But even more confusing was when Cho took a hold of the girl's head, a hand under her chin and the other on her scalp, while she weezed and hollered in her crazed state.

Sub Zero was appalled by the way the Old Man just sat there, as if waiting to snap her neck if the seizure got out of control. Much to his relief, they all noticed the youth relaxing after a certain while, eventually making her sweaty and tired. Her Teacher quietly picked her up and helped seat her on the saddle of her mount before returning to his own creature. Everyone was shocked, but no one said a word, though at least the Lin Kuei assumed that they would all be thinking deeply of it like he was. Although what he wondered about was whether Mei was just as sick as him. It did not seem likely since the poor child was writhing uncontrollably on the ground before their eyes and Sub Zero was unsure whether he experienced the same. He could not tell on his own accord, but he knew the answer could be anything. After all, when he blacked out, perhaps his body may be reacting in uncertain ways.

He decided that he had enough. This illness that kept haunting him at times most uncertain were clogging up the short years he had remaining. As his animal padded along the dirt of the barren wasteland, he stole a glance of the Shaman who shared the beast with Johnny yet again. The other man had his eyes fixated on the linear formation of the Edenian soldiers ahead of them, but they seemed lost in worried thought. Sub Zero understood he too was thinking of Li Mei and that he also knew that Bo' Rai was completely aware of what was wrong with her but was being secretive about.

The Lin Kuei turned his gaze ahead again, thinking that it was best not to make the same mistake as the Master. Once they would set up camp, he would try to find Nightwolf alone and confess of his illness. The Shaman was sure to know and he would definitely help. But even as he reassured himself that everything had a chance to turn out good in the end, the Ice Warrior nursed a shrouded doubt – a fear that the Native American might deliver some grave news.

He sighed, helping to keep himself from trembling.

* * *

"Empress Kitana!" she heard a grunt announce followed by the ruffle of his clothes as he kneeled down and bowed his head. She frowned and then sighed, tossing the cotton she had carefully dabbed in oil to remove the paint that decorated her face. The swab had barely even touched the white coat on her skin when the guardsmen had presented himself to issue her some trivial news. A gesture was not required to permit the man to speak; he would blather on anyway. Though, what really was awful here was that the soldier smelt of concentrated salt. The odour was hurting her nose, but she would tell him off another day. Right now, it was essential that she be on her best behaviour for this to work . "He has arrived, as you requested..."

Naturally, a cruel smile would have formed on her face, but today she was feeling too tired to use it this soon. She decided to save her trademark grin for when the bulk of her discussion with her 'guest' would occur. For now, she would only entertain him with her presence and talk. She silently rose from her little stool and wrapped a thin piece of paper with a fresh stem over the mouth of the container. When the bottle of oil was sealed, she paced away from the square mirror erected in her tent; only when she draped her shoulders with a shawl did she step out of the cantonment and under the chilly weather outside to greet the man.

"Was I wrong about what I said?" she demanded from the disgruntled Spectre before her. It was no lucky bet. She _knew_ he would be there even when he told her otherwise. The fact that Scorpion actually stayed behind in her office at Lei Chen when she asked him to signified that if she would request him to meet her personally again, he would do so. If he really was not as desperate as she thought him to be, he would have walked out without a word. But no. He stood there in that room to listen to every word intently.

And was it worth it to challenge the Ninja. She had boldly requested that he would accompany her on a little stroll while she briefed him on his subject. As expected, he denied the offer and Kitana did very little to push him. But she had wagered openly that he would meet her despite his initial rejection to the invitation. And just as she had said, he was here that night, waiting for her in the cold right outside the tent to hear what she had planned for him.

The exhaustion was slowly dissipating in the knowledge that her little surprise would work and so she felt a smile finally creeping onto her face. It was hard to fight back and eventually she gave in, letting the sickening smirk unveil her conniving nature to the Spectre. She ignored his suspicions and quietly motioned towards the guard still waiting at her tent. He gave a quick bow and then jogged away, only to return not too late with another subordinate. Feeling the protection was adequate, she began to walk with Scorpion beside her and the soldiers tailing them.

"You should think of yourself highly, Scorpion..." she began, her voice ringing serenely. The woman was leading them just outside of camp, perhaps near one of the check-posts she had designated to several of her men. That way, she would be able to discuss with the Spectre in solitude without straying too far away from safety. After all, as a Ruler, she had to give herself some care as well. They were still within the borderlines of the cantonments, but the density of soldiers and bonfires was quickly growing subtler as they moved forward.

The man was silent, but that only meant that Kitana had room to continue her praise.

"I hold you in high esteems, _Toba_," she used the term for 'Hero' in her own language, despite being aware that Scorpion did not know what it exactly meant. "Only courageous men have the will to take on Baraka, let alone defeat him... You have really earned my respect-"

"I believe you had more important details to discuss with me," he promptly cut in. His voice was thick with agitation, something which Kitana easily recognised. It made her smile even more broadly.

"Quite," she replied with a lethargic nod of her head. "Its merely a concern I would like to share with you..."

Here she stopped, feeling it unwise to venture further beyond where they were. The wind had also picked up its speed and was now biting into her skin. She had to pull the shawl closer to her body but remained firm as she turned to face the man. He too had stopped, but seemed somewhat perplexed at their sudden halt. She eased herself, hoping that he would see the calm on her face and relax himself as well. The trick was rather difficult to pull off in such chilly weather but it managed to work. She could see the Shirai Ryu's shoulders droop.

"You do understand that I had marched forward with my men while I had sent you to Lei Chen? And I had lost eighteen men in all these wars... what a pity..." she questioned, hearing one of her guards yawn. Scorpion's shoulders stiffened up again, but this time in frustration. He was getting annoyed by her dawdling words, but the Empress could not care any less. "But... I think, Scorpion, that you may be mistaken..."

He jerked his head to look at her, brows both raised and furrowed in confusion.

"I am certainly confused myself," she empathized with him, tightening the shawl yet again.

"What are you trying to imply here?" he demanded, now his voice growing huskier. That only made her smile more.

"I am not _implying_ anything, _Toba_... Something certainly strange happened when my army encountered a second Tarkatan concentration..."

He was still silent, but still puzzled.

"You see, there was this one Tarkatan that I had come across that I am sure that I can never confuse him for another..."

More silence. Even the guards were growing extremely weary.

"May the gods help me, but I am sure that I had encountered Baraka that day!" she announced, biting her lip like a hapless child. A soldier shuffled with unease as Scorpion stared back at her in disbelief. She suddenly looked up, startling Scorpion when he saw her face. Her eyes had gone terribly cold, like they had been replaced by two shards of cool glass. His face was clearly reflected in them, like they could see nothing but the fear that lay inside him. Her teeth revealed a hint of themselves from behind her painted lips, the skin folding around the corners of her mouth.

Out of instinct, he absentmindedly took a ghost of a step backwards.

"And I come back to hear that you had murdered him days ago..." she sneered, lulling her head to one side. "What a surprise it was... Its only your opinion I ask, _Tabo_... am _I _mistaken...?"

He was quiet.

For a very long time.

"No..." he finally spoke up, seeing Kitana's eyes narrow with delight. "I did not kill Baraka..."

She shut her eyes and laughed softly before looking back up at him again.

"And it was not eighteen men that you had lost..." he added. Kitana's grin immediately disappeared. She heard the whistle of a blade against skin followed by painful gargling. "It was nineteen men..."

An arm slid across her neck with blinding speed while fingers dug into her scalp and took a hold of her locks. She gasped before she felt her legs buckle under some mysterious weight that gathered in her ankles; a puddle of bubbling water sprouted from under her and the infidel, slowly pulling her into unknown depths. Her eyes shot up to see the Spectre, looking back at her with lifeless eyes as he stood complacently to watch her descend.

"Good to meet you again, _Princess_..." a familiar voice sourcing from the man who had her clasped in his hold chuckled. He smelled of that salt.

The last thing she saw before she was pulled down into the water was the corpse of her subordinate.

* * *

Jade quivered as she watched the soldier manoeuvre behind the Empress and take her in a choke hold. Her wits panicking, she jumped out of the shadows and raced towards the group, her staff held in hand. She knew she was not going to make it. Kitana was already disappearing into the ground through whatever sorcery that traitor and his companion had forged. She screeched in the distance, hot tears rolling down her face when the other woman vanished, leaving that bastard Scorpion the only one remaining.

He had looked her way. She knew he was smiling under that rusting mask when that flame engulfed him. Teeth clenched, she howled again, hurling her staff towards the man in a vain attempt to pierce his heart.

But he was gone.

Her weapon fell to the ground with a hollow clank.

Jade fell to her knees as well.

* * *

A/N: Writer's Block. Terrible excuse I know. All of my fictions are turning to shit now. God help me please.

**Binary and Trance**: Hey, thanks for another review. Glad that you sorted your gender out for me, but anyway, I totally understand what you mean by Sub's DA look. At first, I really didn't like him... but now after having discovered my attraction for older men and chicks with curvy hips, I really did started to adore the character. And relax. Sub is no bed intruder. Well at least not in this fic but whatever. Appreciate the review. And please don't say that you're angry at me for not writing more. I'm having a bad case of Writer's Block which is why the latest chapters for all my fictions are turning out to be crap. Looking forward to more feedback from you!

**sammyster8**: I appreciate it! Thanks a lot!

**anime/videogame freak**: No, Scorpion actually... you know what, nevermind, this chapter explains that shit anyway...

**Maximus Prime**: Oho, a new reviewer I see! I'm happy that you enjoy my version of the Mary Sue of Mortal Kombat. God, I just wish that they kept her nasty personality from MK2.

**thinman**: Yeah, its a bloody confession from my side. I actually don't find key moments. I only write this the way I like to. But I enjoy it that you assume it has key moments. Maybe I'm not that much of an amateur writer after all!


	11. Losing The Game

A/N: Sorry for the stupendously long update, but I was having too much fun squeezing the crap out of Edenian Princess1, perhaps one of the most retarded persons whose grammar I've had the pleasure of going 'troll' on! Also, you just lost The Game.

Disclaimer: Don't own Mortal Kombat.

* * *

Chapter Ten: Losing The Game

"What have you brought them to me for?" she demanded, pulling on the reigns of her steed so that it padded towards the queue of Tarkata, chained by the neck, hissing and spitting at the Edenians with detest. Jade, still on foot, took a measured step backwards, her eyes transfixed on the captives as were the Ruler's. High noon would not be for a long while and Kitana wondered why it had gotten this hot already. Dust, dry and scorched like ash, drifted in the air and filled her lungs; the years spent living in the Outworld having made her accustomed to the ancient atmosphere. Despite the sun being forever veiled by the dark clouds of the realm, the earth would be nearly as hot as a desert on more pleasant days. Such heat in the early morn meant that eventually the western winds from the sea will find their way onto land and rain, to no good use.

"They are females," an officer stated, gesturing towards the insolent little scum that sat bound before her feet. She narrowed her eyes, the expression hidden from the others by her plated mask.

Females?

In the warring tribe?

When Kitana had received word of the division that guarded the portals had been slaughtered, she had wasted little time in gathering her forces and marching into the Outworld. It was by chance that as the two armies were closing in, she found that it was not her whom the Tarkata were advancing towards, but the scarce group that had been caught in the middle of the battle field. She would have been fooled to think that the Outworld Natives were to smear Fujin's puppets, but a little discovery had quickly changed her perception: the attacking force was accompanied by females.

"Does it make any difference? Females are the most dangerous of the lot; it is through them that the Tarkata still exist to revolt against Edenia in the future," she exclaimed, inclining her head towards a soldier in mid-sentence. The veteran unsheathed his weapon and proceeded to slash the screeching creatures' necks. She looked towards Jade, the darker woman wearing a pained scowl and turning the other way.

Something was amiss.

Baraka would not normally allow any of the females to travel with parties he sent out for killing. Unless of course, if an unwanted guest stumbled into their territory, but that would make the intruder the real aggressor.

"Empress!"

"Now what?" she had demanded a little too impatiently. She rather ponder over the mystery that had just arose than care for the fate of her enemies.

"This one is a mother," the soldier said, specifically pointing towards the large-bellied one of the two he had yet to kill, pulling the former to stand erect on her legs.

A pregnant one as well?

She could almost snort in frustration when she linked this oddity with Jade's recount. The staff-wielding warrior had spoken of a ghostlike man in gold who had joined the lot the previous night, warning them of an attack and leading them to the outskirts of the plains; towards the mountain ranges at the rim of the basin. Everything seemed to fall into place the moment Kitana understood that this new stranger had his ties with the Tarkata. Baraka must have sent in the closest tribe, disregarding the presence of any females knowing that the group they were to attack had an ally amongst them.

They expected a complete surrender.

Until she and her army came along.

"This man in gold, what is his name?" she turned her head to look down on her servant, the Oni mask digging into her right shoulder. Jade honestly seemed confused. It was a question out of the blue; Kitana could not expect her to know immediately. After all, the green-garbed warrior had mentioned that she had first met the newcomer hours before daybreak. The Ruler's cold eyes drifted towards her trembling captive, teeth barred not of her own accord, and then towards the bulging swell that was her stomach.

Tarkatans were much too proud of their own race, choosing to die than to ever betray their own kind. A wonderful asset she could find in soldiers, however unfortunate that they were her enemies. But ties between mother and child run deeper than racial bonds and this one had something Kitana could bargain with.

"On the ground," she ordered, hopping off the saddle of her steed. Frightened, the Tarkatan slowly sunk to her knees, eyes fixated upon the Edenian Empress as she glided towards her. "All I need is a simple answer…"

* * *

The blood smelled awful. She would have the mind to change her uniform perhaps when the battle would be over, but even that seemed tentative. Before murdering the little wench and the breathing piece of flesh that she harbored in her womb, Kitana managed to squeeze enough information out of her. Indeed, there was a second concentration further past the mountains and that only confirmed her suspicions of the traitor in gold. After capturing the Forces of Light, this man had hoped to take them to the main army for whatever purpose they were hankering after. It was good enough that Kitana managed to intercept this by chance, and now she was already preparing for another campaign.

By the gods, the blood smelled awful. It was as if the child was already rotting inside its mother.

But what deserved her priority the most? The Tarkatan spy or the encampment waiting for her further north? She pressed her hands to the sides of her head, elbows propped on the table so that she could lean out over the map. Her eyes skimmed the pale blotches that were made to represent the topography of the area, a finger now gently tracing what were the mountains. 'A good place for shelter,' she had thought, shifting her position so that she could make out a route. Tiny words were printed across a small concentration of blocks on the map. She did not know how to read but she was much too familiar with the letters used for "Lei Chen", a city that had come under one of her conquests a few years ago.

She casually tapped her finger on the name. Lei Chen. Suitable area. She had countless of her guards stationed there ever since she took control of the bustling city. All the more perfect to keep her _guests _in check while she marched into another battle. Her hand spanned across the distance of the basin where she had found the Forces of Light and the city. It would take a little over a day if the envoy continued without stopping. She decided two days would be the least for travel. She called on an officer and within moments one was already at the entrance of her tent.

"Issue an order to Lady Jade," she had said, eyes once again reverting to the map. "Tell her that our guests would have to leave for The City at the latest."

With a bow, the man disappeared.

Kitana collected the robe between her thighs and pulled one leg over the other. At least it would hide the stains, much less keep the odor from escaping.

* * *

Her entrance was well received, streets crowded till the eye could see, shouts of joy and salute filling the air. They celebrated her victory, they rejoiced for the battle that nearly crushed Baraka. It was a disappointment though that the wretch had run away before either of them could finish their personal duel. As she took her mock bow, flowers tossed upon her and her men, no one seemed to notice that their uniforms and armor were drenched in blood. There was very little left to wonder why Kitana was able to take over Lei Chen with such ease.

* * *

"You seem to have an interest…" she sneered, taking a light step in Sub Zero's direction. She felt elated, ecstatic that finally someone had been able to discern between the colors of her robes and the blood that stained them. She could almost laugh at her mad thinking but kept it to herself, instead delving in the pleasure of yet another frightened pair of eyes staring into hers. Her cheeks ached with the grin that spread across her face, teeth glinting in the streams of sunlight that poured in through the airshafts above. She assumed that her paint could almost be cracking across her skin and she loved the idea; more reason for the Lin Kuei to be scared of her.

"Speak up…" she had said almost too quickly when she heard that groan from him. Her legs kept pacing forward, almost like they had a mind of their own while she tilted her head in curiosity. Her hands trembled, inching towards the steel fan with a sudden pang for fresh blood. Her vision focused on the man in blue, blurring out everything else around him so that all she could see was her new prey.

And a man adorned with rusting gold armor that appeared behind Sub Zero. The world invaded her vision and Kitana found herself amidst a circle of people once again. The thirst left her as suddenly as it had came, leaving her in a new kind of exhaustion. Her grin relaxed into a more subtle smirk, eyes now locked upon this new individual. She registered the color of his clothes, blinking at how accurately Jade had described him for her. Indeed, this man was most akin to a ghost, skin pale and lifeless like Reptile's shed scales and eyes a haunting white, ones that she knew she had seen before.

"Ah...! I see a new face amongst you..." she breathed, confused herself why she had laughed. Sub Zero had turned to other way to see the other. "I've seen you before...!"

Those eyes. Blank and depthless. She could not read them. She could not see what was beyond them. She hated things she could never understand, a feeling Kitana had the misfortune of experiencing when she first saw them more than a decade ago… when Shinnok first took his step in her realm.

And _he_ was with the Fallen Elder.

"Oh...! _Now _I remember...! You were one of Shinnok's lackeys..."

She say him narrow his eyes at her. He was probably blanching under his mask.

"And an _enemy_ is allying himself with us?"

"I am not _your_ ally..." the 'ghost' prompted, straightening himself. This one was much too apprehensive. It seemed like he understood that she did not trust him. That was exactly the case.

"I see... I see... then would that mean if I killed you right now, I would not have done anything wrong, seeing that you do not choose to side with me...?"

Fear. She could recognize that feeling, no matter his eyes were much too deceptive for her to read. This was one emotion that never escaped the Empress. She could have almost cried with happiness when she saw him shrink ever so slowly towards the way from which he came from. He could sense her bloodlust just the way she could sense his fear. That urge kicked up inside her again and she found her sight gradually narrowing down to her newest target. This man, the moment she would slide the blade of her fans against his skin; killing him would be a great service to Fujin. Yes, that would make a good excuse.

"Please don't!" Sub Zero's voice rang in her ears. The urge collapsed before it could even climb and her focus became dispersed. The smile left her lips, now replaced with a frown.

"Disturbing…"

_Me…_

She decided it best not to finish the sentence the way she intended to.

"Disturbing how you would resort to seeking help from the very people we need to kill..."

"He is no enemy!" the Lin Kuei cried out. Sub Zero. He looked pained, almost as if it hurt to say those very words. Why? Was it because he feared the other man? No. If it was anything like that, she would have been the first to know. It was more like there was a certain degree of grief hidden in the old man's words; perhaps a grief even he was not aware of himself. She scowled, a little perplexed, eyes only peeking at the ghostlike warrior for a brief moment. Was there a history between the two? A history Sub Zero was not proud of? She imagined the Grandmaster licking his dry lips under his mask.

She turned away, not knowing why she had decided to leave the traitor alone.

"I do not have time for your absurdities," Kitana murmured as she walked towards the exit, her voice just as tired as her body. Three days of constant battle, garbed in the same clothes for just as long, and her insomnia… it left her exhausted. She could think of herself lying down in a bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling, waiting for a wave of sleep to hit her. It was something she knew would never come to her now. She would have to keep some wine in the room she would claim to drink herself to sleep. It was all that she had been doing ever since the battle at the Edenian Crater.

"Don't call that an absurdity which you have no knowledge of!"

That bastard would not shut up.

"Scorpion has been of great aid by already killing Baraka!"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Scorpion.

She knew that name. It was the only name she had constantly heard being attached to Quan Chi.

Her eyes were wide for everyone to see as she turned to look over her shoulders. Here was a lie, presented to her on a golden platter; it was almost unbelievable to the point that she did not find it amusing enough to laugh. _Scorpion_ killed Baraka? That wretch! How dare he mock her? How dare he take her for a fool? She had understood that he was an agent of the Sorcerer, she had uncovered his identity, she was the one keeping him fooled! And he dare to taunt her knowledge like that?

Calm.

She needed calm to be able to think this over. She forced her rage down, never failing to flinch while she maintained that false expression of surprise. She needed a plan, a scheme to see what this _Scorpion's_ intentions were. She needed information, as much of it as was possible to gather and for that she needed time as well as to keep her allies in check. Kitana only had to fool them into thinking that she was not aware of this revelation. She had to keep them in the dark for the time being.

"He..." she _rambled_ and then looked Scorpion's way. "You possibly can't have..."

"I have..." he replied, his voice growing heavier.

She kept on staring at him before turning to the Grandmaster and then back, mired in _disbelief_.

Time to leave.

"You- " she began but abruptly cut off. Her face softened, making her seem like she possessed of wisdom on par with Bo' Rai Cho's. With half-lidded eyes, she gave the Ninja a ghost of a nod before leaving.

* * *

"_Princess?"_ she demanded, hissing as she said the word. Emotions clashed together when she heard of her former title. She hated it. She never wanted to hear that word again; the look of detest on her face must have made Jade weary. But she could not care any less. Right now, she had just discovered that she had a rather large role to fulfill in Scorpion's ploy. He asked for her? By referring to her as the _Princess_? How far behind was the Ninja? She had never been called Princess ever since her mother… _died_…

"He said that you hold some ties with these _Kamidogu_…" Jade explained, running a weak hand through her hair.

Kamidogu?

She put the hollow bamboo on the face of the parchment she was practicing writing on. The ink from the tip had not been used and now it dripped all over her work. But it did not matter. A burst of laughter escaped from her throat and she was sure that Jade had thought she had gone mad.

* * *

She needed to isolate them from each other, give the illusion that Scorpion was still safe within the protective barrier his half-mad allies always formed around him. Such a pity that their trust was going to waste, and Kitana was going to be the one to waste it for them. She had to lead them out into the open with enough soldiers to hold off an ambush. It was a risky chance but she had to take it. The Shirai Ryu essentially had lured them towards the Tarkatan group and it was now the Empress's turn to use that ploy against him.

All Kitana needed now was to set the bait. Everything would follow accordingly.

And with a storm quickly approaching, there was no better time to set her plans into motion. She blew out all the candles save for the one which gave off the most light. She was hoping that Sub Zero would understand the hint the moment he and everyone else entered the chamber. Even so, if he failed to registered her hidden gestures, she would then have to push him. As she informed everyone of the movements, she dared not to take her eyes away from the aged Lin Kuei warrior.

* * *

Kitana watched as Sub Zero disappeared behind the door, leaving only her and the Spectre alone in the room.

This one she had to catch alone.

She narrowed her eyes and put one of her warmest smile on her lips.

She had to get him suspicious. She had to convince him to be alone.

And her plan was working smoothly…

* * *

She clambered out of the watery portal, nails digging into the soft humus for purchase. Her eyes darted around, trying desperately to find the tiniest glimpse of light – any light – in the pitch darkness. Her labored breathing swung into splutters as her lungs squeezed out the water that invaded them. Drenched and exhausted, she shook like a leaf in the wind, the cold biting into her flesh.

A stroke of lightning mercifully raced above her head, allowing a brief flash of light to wash over her. There was no one there. No one to surround her. No one to look down into her frightened eyes. As the darkness fell once more, she clenched her teeth against the bitter coldness, feeling the chilling gaze of her captor boring into the back of her neck. Her fingers weaved through the dirt, eventually encircling a smooth rock set deep into the forest floor. She felt the man's hand grasp her arm. In a swift stroke, she tore the stone from the ground and swung it at the captor's head. She heard a choked groan, the fingers that firmly held to her bicep now easing.

A demented smile broke on her face as she dropped the stone into the mud again. Another flash of lightning shot into the clouds, revealing the man's turning body at her feet. In a few moments, Scorpion would arrive here as well. She had to make her escape before the chance vanished into thin air. She darted into the thick of the forest, but not before robbing the near unconscious Rain of his sword.

* * *

A/N: And now you know ;) I was having too many problems with this chapter. School, writer's block, an overly active imagination that commands me to write other stuff... You can see why this isn't one of my best works. I'm not too happy with it but it was all that I could dish out under the circumstances. Plus, I was going to reveal this stuff anyway but that would've been too anime-ish if I made Kitana reveal her plans all in a dramatic speech. Too bad they backfired. Now she's in deep shit. Oh yeah, on to the reviews...

**Binary and Trance:** I CANNOT reveal anything further than what I write. Sorry, you'll just have to wait. Until I get that notebook I've been drooling over, updates can't be faster and this one (even I'm aware of) was too fucking long. So yeah, it'll be around two or three chapters that everyone gets to know what Mr. Zero been taking too much of. And I'm definitely looking forward to your own fan fic. Can't wait. As a side note, Scorpion and Kitana are neither in my top ten as well. Well Kitana may be in the female section, but those two I don't like as much as Kung Lao, Havik, Sub Zero, Noob Saibot or even Skarlet. I can agree with you that Sub Zero's a more interesting character here than anyone else, but Kitana and Scorpion play an essential part in the story as well. You'll find out how they're all inter-related, but I'm not saying anything further!

**animevideogame freak:** Glad you liked this one! I'll be sure to take your attachment to Scorpion into account before doing anything to him ;)

**edinarain: **This was one of the most elating things I can ever hear. Thank you so much! For me, the biggest compliment I can receive is that you say this humble little fiction of mine is something more than just a humble little fiction of mine... K'... didn't I kill the moment?

**sammyster8: **Wish fulfilled, ma'am! Glad you liked it.

**en-lumine****:** Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I'm hoping I'd be able to finish this before I'm forty because this is one loooooong story that's lurking in my head.


	12. All Bark, No Bite

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides any and all characters, places and events I choose to add on my whim.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: All Bark, No Bite

He did not believe her.

Even when she cried, her tears diluting into the water that poured upon her trembling form.

Even when she twisted her fingers into the fabric of his mantle.

Even when she, screeching louder than the chilling cold of the storm wind, begged of him to save the Empress.

But all he did was silently stare into her green orbs, lost, disbelieving. Rain hammered against his armor and the exposed parts of his skin, slowly covering him in a layer of frost. He did not shake it off, letting it gather and encase him within a wall of thin ice. An unfamiliar face – an officer – pried Jade off him and pulled her to her feet, stuttering something in their alien language. He did not know what the soldier said to her. He could not even hear their voices any more.

He was… _broken_…

Why?

Why did he feel like his hopes had been snatched away?

Why did he feel like his reason had been sucked out of his soul?

Why could he not believe her?

The sheet of ice slipped off his back, the accumulated frost dragged down by its own weight. The layer scattered across the muddy soil, mixing and melting into it.

"He took her! He and another! They took her!" she had kept screaming, turning her face to address both him and Li Mei. She was in shock, confused just as the rest, but he had kept his firm hands upon her twisting wrists as she held on to his robes, kept pressing her to stay calm and take names. Even as she blathered on in her delirium, something within his chest took a dangerous plunge. Cold fog seeped from his lips as he found himself murmuring, _"Please, don't take his name. Please don't take his name."_

He did not know why he prayed for that. He knew that the name would inevitably come, then why had he asked for otherwise?

Why could he not believe her when she took Scorpion's name?

Why could he not believe that he could betray them like this?

Why did he, even if for only a fleeting moment, ever think he could trust the Specter?

That plunge in his chest fell deeper, carving something out of his soul. He did not know what he lost that moment, but it felt like it had been something vital. His body froze still, unmoving, unshakeable even as Jade writhed against his chest, demanding from him why he did not move, why he did not get up to save her friend. When the ranked soldier came to pull the dark Edenian away from her, he could almost taste the venom in her words, the vile click of her teeth as she cursed him in that foreign language.

"Don't do this," he heard a voice echo in his ears and his eyes darted up to find Kenshi mere inches away from his face. Only then had he realized that the Swordsman had been holding on to his shoulders, taking his name over and over again. The blindfold hid his ruined eyes but the sad curl of his lips spoke of everything. Words did not come to Sub Zero. All he could do was just gasp listlessly when his breath became caught within his throat. "Please… don't do this to yourself…"

_What did he mean?_

"Get up," this was a firm order and the Grandmaster pulled himself to his feet unquestioningly. He kept his lashes lowered, feeling the burning gaze of his allies boring through his skin and going as deep as the bones. He knew what they were thinking: it was his fault. He trusted Scorpion enough to let him invade their circle. He let his guard down when Scorpion was the least worthy of faith. He let Scorpion play them for fools.

He clenched his teeth, feeling nothing short of worthless for his mistake. He deserved Jade's curses. He deserved to be cursed.

"They haven't gone too far from where we are," the blind man stated, lifting a glowing hand in the air while addressing the well-armored officer. "There's a day's time that keeps us from them if we ride your steeds instead of chasing them by foot."

"Take an estimate, Ken," Sonya had said, never taking her eyes off the Korii warrior. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"No need. There're only four of them, counting Kitana,"

"Four?" the officer implored. "Lady Jade spoke of only two traitors."

"I can sense _four_ p-" the Swordsman cut himself short. It had not been a moment too late when realization dawned upon them all. Sub Zero looked up, at the panicking frown of the blind one, at the frightened eyes of the Edenian in green, at Sonya who cast a worried glance towards her superior, at Master Cho who shook his head in fretfully. Everything else that could have gotten worse than now did. The Grandmaster chose to ignore the guilt of his mistake and took the first step. He stormed away to the holdings where the steeds were kept under a tarp for shelter.

The rest only followed silently.

* * *

It had begun to rain when he had been woken up. He did not mind the shower though; it was a welcome gift from nature to him. He had lifted a hand and traced his fingers along the gash at the back of his head, feeling the warm wetness flowing between the roots of his hairs. Blood. He would not see how much of his blood had run; it was too dark and the spark of lightning was only momentary. It did not matter. The wound would heal itself in little time, around next sunrise, he calculated. He was jerked to his feet, barked at by the undead warrior he had been sent to aid. He kept quiet though. He was not in the mood to feel angry when the weather was so pleasant.

He could feel the woman's blood pumping, flowing through her veins even as she widened the distance between them. It was another weapon within his arsenal, one more gift he was born with amongst thousands. He could feel, experience the rush of water; any water. Blood. He could feel her blood. It was pumping faster, squeezing through her flesh and organs. She was still running.

They ran after her.

He took the lead in the chase, sifting and maneuvering through the underbrush with his partner at his tail. She was weaving her escape, trying to throw them off but she was unaware of his powers. He stalked her like a hungry hound, cutting along the dead forest floor, the trees moaning in delight and greedily reaching out for the downpour. He felt a greater wave in the distance, the presence of a flowing, uncontrolled tributary in the distance. As they ran, the sounds of the currents crashing against dried rock rang in their ears.

Rain smiled, water cascading down his visage and seeping through his teeth. The stream. It was a dead end. She could not run any farther. She would be foolish to jump in and try swimming her way but by the roar of the waves he knew the currents were too strong for the task. She was trapped.

Lightning flashed once more.

He saw a small figure by the bank, a form bound by drenched clothes that stuck to her skin. She was quivering with the cold, her paint smeared and still running down her face, battle raging within her mind: should she jump in, or not? He gestured a proud hand in the air and pulled a streak of lightning down to earth. It struck the dirt, mere inches away from her and she stumbled back in fright, clutching her chest as she reached out for the sword that fell from her hand.

A tree unfortunate enough to be so close to the bolt caught fire. Its branches frantically swung out in the air as it screeched in pain, the fire tearing cracks through its already dry trunk. It died within a matter of moments, it inanimate corpse still ablaze within the heavy shower, the wood glowing red, hissing where the water would meet the scorching surface.

It was a greeting well understood. The ragged Empress turned around, hands trembling as she held up the stolen sword to glint in the fire's light. It was her call for a fight, and he could only laugh inwardly at her vain attempts to fend herself when there was clearly no victory for her. If he could, he would have brought lightning right down upon her head and melted it off her shoulders. She could not win this, then why was she still resisting?

He saw another glint off the corner of his eye and turned to look Scorpion's way. The Shirai Ryu was already wielding his wakizashi. The demigod took a step back. If the other was interested in a fight, then so be it. He decided he would watch the Ninja break every bone in her body.

It would be enough entertainment.

* * *

"You'd rather I squeeze half your blood out before I hand you over?" he called to her, readying his stance once he felt that he closed in the right distance. Fear kept her rooted to the spot, kept her from fleeing away. He could almost hear the clatter of her teeth above the holler of the raging torrent. Her decorative paint trickled down her pale face, the red of her lower lip dripping like she had killed a small animal with her own teeth. The terror kept her from retorting; all she did was silently gaze on with wide, alarmed eyes, the sword inexpertly shaking in her grasp.

He took that as a "Yes".

He lunged at her with incredible speed, barely hooking her in the jaw as she sidestepped the attack. She was anticipating the assault; he knew he should not have given her the time to read his movements. But Scorpion could only credit her with so much. In the heat of battle, he would give her no opportunity.

She had widened the distance, only to her own wrongdoing as Scorpion burst into flames and reappeared beside her, driving a fist into her kidney. She maneuvered away before contact and grasped his arm, letting his momentum wear out before she leapt into the air and brought an elbow down upon his crown. The Ninja was forced on one knee and his head took a wild spin as the blow connected. Pain shot down his left arm and spread to his chest, a blade tearing through his shoulder, spraying blood on his mask and into his eyes. The sting pulled him out of his delirium and he groaned much too loudly.

He took a quick hold of the sharp blade before it was pulled out of him, the edge slicing into his fingers and drawing blood as she tugged at it. He bounded off his feet and took her by the waist, carrying her towards the flaming tree, chuckling slightly once her screams echoed in his ears. Her back pressed against the ember-red wood, the fires eating away at her clothes and skin. He stepped back to let her fall to her knees, her screams having grown into whimpers that the sounds of the currents drowned out.

His fingers wove into her hair and he yanked her to her feet before driving her head first into the tree. Hot splints and embers flew in the air, a loud crack sounding off at the impact. Scorpion could not tell whether it was her skull or the wood that was the source of that sickening noise. Her arms and legs went dead limp, no scream, no whisper escaping her lips with the blow. He did not think if he went too far. He did not care if she was dead or not. All he cared for was the look on her face once he slowly pulled her away.

Blood cascaded down her face, her eyes wide and in shock, the gash on her head charred black by the fire. He released his hold on her, letting her stumble and waver as she tried to keep her balance, her lips quivering. He thought that she would cry. He was disappointed when she did not.

Scorpion reached for the sword that impaled his shoulder and pulled it out, eyes narrowing in pain yet never straying from the woman. Unreal amounts of blood gushed out form the wound but he kept his firm posture. She was looking back at him hatefully, disgustedly, but most important, with fear.

She took careless steps backwards, her breaths even more labored than before. He did not spare her any comfort and followed after her, watching her grow weary with every step the Shirai Ryu took.

"N-… n-n-… no…" she gasped, pressing one eye shut to squeeze the blood that had trickled in. "N-… please… Don't… don't do this… to me…"

The undead warrior kept silent, unrelentingly stalking her down.

"I… I'll give you… anything… you want, just… just let me… let me go…"

He kept pressing, cornering her against an inanimate tree. She held out a weak hand, a gesture for him to spare her.

"… What you want… I'll… I'll give it… to you…"

"What can you give me?"

"L-land… money… anything… just ask and I'll… give it to you…"

"Those things do not hold any worth for me."

"For you…" she cracked a cowardly smile. Her eyes turned to look at something over his shoulder. "But they are… very precious to him…"

The Ninja stopped in his tracks. He could feel the sickly, uninviting presence lurking behind him. His fingers tightened around the hilt of the bloody sword as he turned around.

A set of nail-like teeth belonging to a muscular figure glimmered in the yellow glow of the burning wood. A thin tongue slipped from between the horrendous maw, flicking rudely at the Ninja and the beaten Empress. The creature must have laughed, Scorpion could tell, that even as the water gushed below them he could see the figure's shoulders quake unwittingly. He saw the familiar figure lift a calloused, pointed finger at him.

The Specter knew why.

He turned around, thrusting the sword at the woman. The blade sliced between her knuckles, tearing through her veins and flesh until the metal poked through the elbow. She froze still, looking on in horror at the new wound, much too astonished to even yelp. The Shirai Ryu pulled her own sword out, the weapon now drenched in a mixture of their blood. She fell to her knees and clutched her hand before the much anticipated scream erupted from her throat.

She drowned out the crashing of the stream.

* * *

He could almost feel her bones twist as he forced her arms behind her back. It was another one of his gifts. Just as he could move and control the flow of water, he could choose how and where blood and other bodily fluids moved about within her body. He would twirl his hands and fingers about in the air, puppeteer her limbs to fold as Baraka had told him to. He furrowed his brows in confusion when the Tarkatan ordered him to force her tongue out. He did not question why, but he would know soon enough.

Her mouth was slowly forced open and just as slowly, her tongue stuck out. Blood pooled into her mouth and she moaned as the sickening, metallic taste of the crimson fluid dripped onto the pink appendage. The Outworld scum bent down, extracting only an inch of his natural blade. His sharp, dirty nails took a hold of her tongue and he chuckled as Kitana growled louder when she realized what was going to happen to her.

Rain looked away.

"I don't like your voice," he whispered, pressing the blade against the tip of the appendage. The edge cut through, blood trailing down his hands and staining his already rusted gauntlets. He could only laugh at the ringing yells, never ceasing until his blade touched the floor of her mouth. The Tarkatan released his hold, flicking a few droplets of her blood that drenched his hands on her face. "Bitter memories resurface when I hear your voice…"

She cast him a venomous glare.

"I will…" she clenched her teeth, her now forked tongue sending a throbbing pain into her head. She tightened her jaw and gulped down the blood, one way to fight the pain. She wanted him to hear this, no matter how much it hurt. "_I will kill you…"_

"You'll never get the chance," he said. He lifted himself from the ground and circled behind her. "You'd want to worship me after Chi is done with you."

The Tarkatan motioned to the demigod. He relaxed his hold on her and took the stolen weapon in his hands. There were no final words of resistance as he rammed the hilt into the back of her head. He observed her unconscious form, wondering whether she had accepted her fate with Baraka's final words to her. He would not think too much about it. He twisted the blood in her limp body once more, making her stand and walk along like a puppet.

Lightning flashed a final time that moment.

The downpour would continue but the searing white bolts would be absent from the dark skies. He knew he was being weary, but within the confines of his heart, he knew this was a dire omen of nature.

* * *

"They are not out to kill her," the officer, who had made himself known as General Xin So Goong, had said to him. It was hard enough to turn to look at him for the lantern they carried provided insufficient light. At most, they had to rely on the beasts' sharp vision; animals which they had learned were called _janahua_. The monstrous creatures grunted loudly as they raced across the wet, muddy lands, their massive paws thumping against the muck and kicking it up in the air.

Sub Zero turned his face towards Goong, holding up his lantern in the General's direction.

"Why?" he called back, his voice booming.

"She was abducted, not killed on spot," came the answer. The two were silent for a moment, letting only the _janahua _to wheeze and fill in the quiet. "She has something of importance to them."

"Like what? What does she have that they would have to take her prisoner?"

Goong was quiet once again. It was a while before he finally looked back at Sub Zero, meeting his eyes.

"Knowledge."

* * *

A/N: Its becoming awfully retarded that I write special thank you notes at the end, so after this chapter I'm just gonna mention names and send PMs full of "Thank You"s to my reviewers instead.

**animevideogame freak**: Oh, so glad you get it. I don't want to confuse anyone and ruin the pace. Glad you liked it enough though.

**Binary and Trance**: Ooh, yes. You've already mentioned it before. I'm happy that you're still sticking with this and being as patient with it as you are right now. I've got the notebook, so I'll try to be as fast as possible. I wrote part of this chapter on campus you know and COLLEGE IS SO FUCKING HARD! (I'm actually doing A Levels but most Americans don't get what that is, so I'm using college instead) But still, I'll try my best to update as soon as I can. G'day.

**Thief of Light**: WAI ITZ A NEW REVIEWER? Thanks for the compliment, I really appreciate it. I hope I can make you stick with this cheesy little fic.

**en-lumine**: Thanks for another review, mate. Yeah, I totally agree with the quality of fictions in this archive. It's like a tidal wave of cheesy OCs and the romance is – for lack of a better word – atrocious. I mean, I can gag when I read such crap. But really, it's often a nice breather when you come across something fresh. I'm glad you think this is one of those 'fresh' fics. Hope to hear from you soon.

**Maximus Prime**: Thanks. You'll only find out in later chaps. I think everything will simmer down by the thirteenth or fourteenth chapter. Anyways, I'll reveal things soon enough.

**xVentressx**: Nice to hear from you again. Can't believe you tracked me on deviantART. Fun! Stay curious though, there's a lot of shit up ahead. Oh, and thanks for the review.

**ArrogantDiety**: I figure you're also a newcomer to this story. I appreciate the review. I'm glad you find my rape of the characters believable and appealing. And I also hope to keep this story going.

**retro and vintage**: Yep, I guess that long ass PM wasn't enough; you still deserve the mention. Again, thank you very much for the review and for calling me your inspiration. I'm happy that you aren't taken aback by my portrayal of Kitana. Her evil side was always an inside joke between me and my sister and the idea just simply stuck with me. I definitely needed the extras to flesh out the atmosphere, which is a hard task on its own (I'm not good with coming up with names, so I just use a few tweaked Urdu words) and individual characterization for each different character is even worse than that. But I try to pull through. Anyway, I hope you had fun reading this one.


	13. Arsenal

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides any and all characters, places and events I choose to add on my whim.

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Arsenal

She was losing blood.

Rain did not care if she would die of the blood loss. What only mattered to him was she did not leave behind a trail for her companions to follow who were closing in faster than expected. He could feel the crimson within the veins of the hounding group; a mass of perhaps twenty to thirty men, not counting what he thought were _janahua_.

But she was losing blood.

Too much blood.

She was too weak for him to drag through his watery portal, a risk that would undeniably drown her into the unknown depths of the distant, celestial sea only he could control and master. He would be careless in the matter, but Baraka watched him carefully, watched him restrain himself from hurting her any further. She did not have the capacity to sustain a new injury. She lost too much blood, her stamina had crumbled into nothingness and each breath fell shorter than the last. She remained within her temporary coma even as the half-god twisted and contorted her limbs through his sorcery to make her walk.

But she was still losing blood.

He stopped abruptly and eased her oblivious form on the muddy ground, taking the most critical of her injuries – the hollow arm – and filtered his enchanted magic through her flesh. The clump of soft tissue slowly formed together and closed one end of the gaping funnel, gradually travelling along and down her arm at a pace that did not satisfy him. Baraka, outraged, jerked him away from the decaying Empress. He spat in his face for slowing them down, for letting the Forces of Light a massive step closer to them, for wasting his pity on the woman they were meant to hunt down.

"She will not survive if she keeps losing blood!" the demigod had replied through clenched teeth, wrenching away from the nails that dug through the stiff material of his fabric and into his skin. He crouched down next to her, taking her limb in his hand again and continuing to repair her. Flesh was more liquid than solid; at least that was what he had learned. Healing was only natural to him, both of his own body and others as well. He could only scoff how he was gifted with something as pure and holy as healing when he had treaded along a starkly different path long, long ago.

The Outworld native had let him about his work, grunting in disapproval yet though understanding that the Edenian Prince only spoke what was right. Scorpion kept quiet. He was quiet ever since he tackled the woman down. The only sense of activity Rain was sure from him was that the Ninja kept glancing anxiously over his shoulder. The demon from the Nether could sense the prickling peril of the advance on their tail, he assumed.

Their pursuers were dangerously close. He pulled at the invisible strings for her to stand up and start her pace again. The job would have to be left unfinished unless they would manage to widen the distance, buy enough time to complete the process and save their mission from failure. She stumbled and wavered, signs that his fingers quivered and his resolve diminished, his mind riddled with worry that they would not reach their destination in time. He glanced towards the gold-garbed warrior who now kept his gaze strictly towards their south, even as they walked forward.

He heard a gurgle and then a painful hiccup from the Edenian Woman. Rain's eyes travelled to the ground where he saw a large blotch of wet and shimmering crimson pass underneath him. He could feel her bones quiver and her vocal chords vibrate as a muffled cry floated from her lips. Baraka looked towards her; he was the only one who could gather what horrified expression graced her filthy face but he kept quiet. He only snorted, perhaps in disappointment or in exasperation, he would not know.

More blood.

The stains, thin as a line, snaked under him. He knew the wound had opened up from the pressure exerted upon her muscles, the only likely result of failing to heal her completely. There was nothing he could do now, only wince as her organs refused to function at a safe rate and blood and bile kept flooding her throat. Another gurgle and a new, fat blot of red passed underneath his feet. He lifted his enchantment upon her and caught her limp body in his hands, cradling her.

"You need to summon the portal here," he hastily directed the Tarkatan, whilst already beginning to clumsily mend her wounds with his gift. Her chest rose and fell uncomfortably, with a trickle of blood – now turning thick and black – running down the corner of her lips and mixing with the blood that already dirtied her face. He had to hurry his pace, for the aura of the pursuing force grew stronger by the moment, making it even more difficult for him to concentrate on healing the dying woman. Once or twice he looked Scorpion's way and the Shirai Ryu would be a few steps behind them. Perhaps he was expecting the others to reach them, or perhaps even waiting for a brawl. Whatever his reasons were, it would seem that the Ninja was already prepared for a confrontation.

"Baraka, you _need_ to summon the portal, now! We cannot waste any more time travelling, she will not survive it!" he persisted. He took a moment to look back at the empty horizon, the dangerous auras now growing hot and painful. The golden-garbed warrior was already in a defensive stance, choosing to stalk backwards in fear of a swift strike. He turned towards the woman once more, her eyes weakly shut and minute gasps of breath sifting through her teeth, carrying with them a spray of ivory fluid every time.

"Baraka, are you listening to me?" he cried out, his voice quaking with worry and panic. He fell on one knee and laid the woman down on the hard ground. "Summon the damned portal!"

He was jerked back a little as blades sunk deep into his lungs before the Outworld native retracted his weapons, leaving two gaping holes in his chest. The Prince stood still, bewildered, the pain and the unwarranted attack contributing to his shock. Warmth spread across his skin and trickled down to his belly, leaving him to silently gaze down at the growing blotch on his mantle. He winced, falling to his knees and pressing a hand over one wound.

He was losing blood.

The Edenian lifted his gaze to witness the hideous smirk of his assailant whilst a surprised Scorpion looked on. He fell on his free hand, coughing out blood that sprayed the dry earth red, the shuffle of lazy footsteps ringing in his ear. He looked up once more, the toothy smile seemingly having gotten larger to him as a blade once again slid out from the Tarkatan's arm, glimmering in the dim light.

He closed his eyes shut.

* * *

All that was needed was another puncture, and the Shirai Ryu was sure that Baraka had aimed for the heart. It went through his back and came out from the front of his chest, a pained gasp escaping from the Prince once before he fell limp and fell flat to the ground. Scorpion silently drew his sword, alternating between the new corpse and the manic Tarkatan that tasted the blood on his naked weapon.

"Was this all meant from the beginning or…?" he questioned once Baraka turned around, flashing his teeth at the Ninja now. The other blade came sliding out from the other arm. The creature nodded in reply. A frail gust blew in from the distant front, scattering the dust in the air so that they shimmered like gold in the weak light of dawn. He looked towards the two on the ground, one dead and the other already with a foot in the grave, and then towards Baraka who had every intention to toss him amongst them.

Another small breeze, hot and dry that carried with it another puff of dust… and Baraka was gone.

Scorpion side-stepped, his sword raised above his head as the lunge went far beyond the intended mark. A swift slash followed and the Ninja widened the gap, shocked how he had only managed to break the skin despite the fierce attack. The Outworld denizen straightened himself, turning his head slightly so as to reveal a mere glimpse of his profile. Scorpion scoffed, reaching for the second sword equipped on his back, the dual weapons mimicking the natural blades of his assailant.

The Undead warrior took a swift turn, a clockwise swing directed at Baraka's throat and torso. Screams of metal clashing against metal rang in the air, the malformed creature having forced the two in a deadlock. He twisted his arm, entrapping the blades in a complicated combination that easily eliminated any distance between the two. His maw, wide open and releasing a waft of his ghastly breath, snapped down upon the gold-garbed man's head. Fire burst into his face and a boot thudded upon his hefty chest, throwing him back several feet before he found footing.

Baraka had quickly turned around, catching the fist that was aimed for his head before thrusting the blade from his free hand into Scorpion's chest. The Tarkatan had thought that the other would have to bite his tongue to keep himself from screaming out loud, but the little yelp he managed was enough to make him chuckle. Distracted, he did not see the Ninja reach for his hood and mask and pull it back; a horrid, blazing skull widening its jaws at him. The blade quickly slipped out from his chest as the Outworld mutant maneuvered behind the Shirai Ryu, grasping onto the back of his skull once fire streamed uncontrollably out of his mouth. Baraka would only wince in pain as his palm and fingers burned, but he would not dare let it interfere as he pulled back his other arm, ready to plunge the weapon into the warrior's spine.

The ground tore apart, debris and fragments of the dry earth tossing into the sky as both light and heat struck down upon them. Baraka had pushed himself away from the Ninja, inadvertently saving his opponent from the bolt of lightning that surged between the lands and the skies. He fell upon his back, shielding his eyes from the blinding light before it suddenly dissipated, just as quickly as it had first struck them. Clouds, brooding and heavy with shower, had already begun to blanket the sky, courses of electricity running across the belly and winds howling as they grew stronger with each passing second.

The storm… it was unnatural for it to occur so suddenly. It was as if it was a product of nature's fury or perhaps had been summoned there by an enraged power. The two, somehow tempted by their instincts, turned to look at the two dead ones that lay far from them.

One of them was standing, breathing and very much alive. Blood still stained his uniform, a reminder of the three, now non-existent punctures the Tarkatan had driven into his flesh. Baraka pushed himself to his feet, eyes registering unpleasant surprise.

Lightning once again ravaged the parched grounds, beckoned by the will of the demi-god who aimed the attack upon Baraka's head. The Tarkatan had rolled out of the way, realizing he had now two distinct forces to fend off; a wrathful god in the making and an undead immortal. Fleeing from the bolt was enough distraction to let Scorpion achieve the upper hand; as the blaring lights subsided, a chained blade cut through the air and caught the Tarkatan in the gut. Much too familiar with this kind of assault, he anchored his feet in the ground and, despite the agony, pulled the master of the kunai towards him.

The body of the Shirai Ryu vanished in another intense burst of flames, scorching Baraka's face and exposed gums, the surrounding barrage of lightning, rain and sleet keeping him on his feet. The Tarkatan roared in frustration, his blades extending further out of his arms as he directed an assault towards the Son of Argus. The Prince summoned more bolts of electricity that tore the ground asunder, Baraka maneuvering through the onslaught with surprising agility. Teeth and metal crashed down upon Rain, cutting through only water in the shape of a man's body. The liquid splashed to the ground and a stream of fire instead engulfed the Outworld mutant's body; an ambush in plain sight.

The mystical body of water took his shape as he charged towards Baraka, a watery high pressure drill nearly identical in length in that of the other's natural blade-like bones emerging from his fingers. The concocted weapon fell on target, slicing into the belly of the monster and leaving a gaping gash, but to Rain's own dismay he had caught the Edenian's neck in the process, digging his claws deep into the windpipe. The fingers clasped together, slowly crushing his throat before the creature released his hold, turning around to see Scorpion bring his sword down upon his scalp.

The weapon never sliced through.

Jagged ice pierced the air, entrapping the Ninja mid-air whilst the other two warring combatants had their legs frozen to the ground. Limbs and necks free, their gazes followed the undulating trail of clear ice that snaked away along the ground, pausing only at the feet of a familiar Lin Kuei and a group of likewise recognizable faces. A dusty Edenian flag flapped in the storm winds, downpour drenching the already faded colors of the banner which an old and weary officer carried.

Scorpion freed himself of the lump of ice that had now turned into a pool of water, Baraka and Rain managing to break free. The Shirai Ryu issued a sidelong glance towards the Ice Warrior, counting all the bad felt emotions the former still nursed. The man was angered and out for blood, but the Ninja could have sworn he had seen something else in Sub Zero's eyes, despite the distance, despite the hail that mired his vision.

Was it grief?

He gave Baraka a moment of his attention when the beast heaved a drawn sigh, Rain also relaxing his posture and choosing to stand beside his enemy. The Shirai Ryu had heard once, a product of a subdued memory, that time dictated who was to be one's enemy and who was to be regarded as a friend. Watching columns of vapor billow into the air as the air pounded down upon the Lin Kuei, Scorpion nearly laughed to himself how true that saying was. The clouds rumbled again as the Edenian Prince gestured a hand in the air once again, a searing bolt that lingering across the sky, ready to fall to the earth at will.

Light pierced through the air and tore at the already scarred earth, the distinct and deafening roar of thunder that resounded could have been heard for miles over. The strike flashed wildly, uncontrollably before bending away and attacking a fetch of ground considerable distance away. As the light began to lose its gleam, the Ninja slowly pulled his hands away from his eyes, watching in confusion the direction of the bolt. The Prince had stopped the offense, gritting his teeth when he saw the blindfolded human mislead the stroke of lightning with whatever forsaken sorcery he had.

The Edenian once again gestured for another surge, an attack that never came once he was lifted off the ground by that same mysterious force from the blindfolded one and towed several meters back. Baraka and the Shirai Ryu looked on at their downed friend before gradually meeting their foes' gaze once more. Kenshi had already taken a stance with the larger brute known as Jax taking up beside him. The Veteran turned his head from shoulder to shoulder; small cracks emanating that had been otherwise drowned out by the howling storm winds. Briggs lifted a metallic finger directed towards the Tarkatan.

Scorpion scoffed once again when he saw the Outworld mutant extend his already naked blades, the Colonel already gesturing towards the former to make a move. The Ninja chose to ignore the inane taunting and directed his attention towards the one that interested him the most. The Lin Kuei had also assumed stance, his icy blue eyes fixated upon the gold-garbed warrior. Time would surely lapse, as it did when Scorpion had first met him around nine days ago. Perhaps the look in the Korii Warrior's eyes had not been the same as then, but there was that something that Scorpion was sure he had seen back then.

It was _hurt_.

What kind of hurt and why did it stem inside his rival, Scorpion did not know but he was not at all at a lack of interest. The grief amused him, made him pity the useless runt for being such an easy pick. The Undead Warrior moved away from the Tarkatan and cleared enough ground that the others would not be able to interrupt their fight. The gesture was enough for the Chinese combatant to acknowledge: this was their war and theirs alone. He too broke away from the safety of his surrounding comrades, leaving a battlefield to his and Scorpion's name.

Rain, sleet and wind; nature's tempest ravaged the earth and drove the two warrior's fury to its brink. They swiftly narrowed the gap between them, thirsting for the other's blood as weapons rose into the air and sliced down upon flesh.

* * *

"They said that the American doctors knew of a treatment," he had said, a sad glimmer shining in his otherwise faded eyes. He had taken on a paler complexion than last Fujin remembered, the illness accentuated by the dark hue surrounding his eyes and the cold beads of sweat that always made his forehead shimmer. The god pursed his lips, forming a grim, thin line that deceived the mortal's optimism. The immortal acknowledged that it was his smile that kept him looking far more aged than he really was; a pity to see such a young soul wither away like a flower that never truly bloomed.

"If I could not cleanse you, then what chance do those mere mortals have?" the Wind god argued, tired of the other's blessed ignorance. The latter continued to flash his youthful grin as he carefully lowered himself into a chair, a weak hand wiping off the moisture from his brow.

"They have an education," came the reply.

"I have Knowledge," Fujin prompted, finding the other man's challenge to be a digression. Mortals simply did not harbor the respect and honor for their gods. "And Power to crush you or cure you."

"And yet you cannot save me…" the man pointed out, straightening his robes. "Kill me you can, but you will not do so. All you ever do is boast."

Anger washed away just as swiftly it had come. The other still adorned that coy, playful grin, a feature that seemed an anomaly on his ghost-like face. Should the god blame him for latching on to hope when there really was none? Was it that the smile was a ruse to disguise the terror of knowing he was living on borrowed time? Or did he choose to accept death's presence looming over his head and decide to live the time he had in joy? The Wind God had said he had Knowledge and yet, he could still not decipher the meaning behind the other's beam.

Happiness was what the Elders granted to humans as compensation for all the mortal ills and evils that would plague them. To Fujin, this thing called "happiness" was still far beyond his reach. It was a gift to humans, not something for the gods to hoard themselves. Perhaps only the Elders would know what this is, and why it made people so ignorant of dismay like the dying man who sat delving in that "happiness" of his. Indeed Fujin had Knowledge, but it was not universal. It was Knowledge that would circulate amongst his own kind, not amongst all things.

That was why he was at a loss for words.

After all, how can he deny that which was right?

* * *

There had been a scream.

Sub Zero could not tell whether it was his own or his enemy's. The scream would not register in his mind; he had his very being set on the idea of finally wiping his hands of the blood of his family's killer and everything else seemed to have been pushed out of the boundaries of his focus. He was in his own world now, where the land stretched as far as need be, where all other life did not invade his battlefield, where all sounds were non-existent. He was just here with his life's goal in the form of a gold-garbed demon, icy swords in either hand to cleave right into the other's skull. There was only one purpose to fulfill, one aim to achieve…

_Bi Han's murder will die._

Shards of blue ice bolted from the ground and into the air, managing only a cut in the Ninja's thigh. Sub Zero kept at his relentless offense, sending countless of icy spokes tearing from the earth to try and drive one right through the other's heart. Scorpion would vanish in a plume of flames – once, twice; confusing the impulsive Korii Warrior. It was inevitable that Scorpion finally found range amidst the chaos of fire clashing against ice and lunged towards him, a sword pointed for his throat.

Ice nearly as thick as bone encased the cold warrior, bearing the brunt of the force and shielding him from the fatal slice. Seeking an opening, Sub Zero shattered his cocoon, a newly formed Korii Blade in his fingers that he swung down upon the other. Swords met and disengaged, each man thrusting, swinging, slicing and plunging their weapons amongst quick parries and counters that simply added to the confusion of battle. A hook followed, then a dodge accompanied by a sweep that would always miss its mark. A roar from either men and then a blade that would crash down upon another, leaving them to make use of their fists when the struggle would lead them nowhere.

This time, Sub Zero knew it was him who screamed. The Shirai Ryu twisted the weapon within his thigh, carving a niche and sawing through tendons and bone. His sword flailed in the air in a pathetic attempt for it to perhaps connect with flesh, but the Specter merely kicked his weapon from his hand, halting his agonizing torture and removing the blade in a bid to finish the Korii warrior. Sub Zero rolled out of the way, far enough for the other to miss and for him to regain his footing to cast a venomous glare upon the enemy.

Scorpion never missed a beat. He swiftly maneuvered himself to a more tactical stance that would allow him the range and precision to make sure he would cut his opponent. To his own horror, Sub Zero grasped the sharp blade in his own hands, the edge nearly clipping off his fingers as he pulled the weapon closer to him along with the Specter. Scorpion released his hold, letting Sub Zero toss it away to his side and then leap upon him, his entire body defenseless and open to assault. A sickle pierced through flesh and protruded from the spine, a sickening roar tearing itself from Scorpion's throat, the yell only synchronizing with that of Sub Zero's once his enemy's sword cut through his chest as well. In a momentary scramble for the upper hand, the Ice Warrior jerked his own weapon tightly, toppling the opponent to the ground with the jagged length of ice still trapped in the Specter's flesh.

The injured Lin Kuei did a double take, an olden palm clenching the profusely bleeding wound once the fallen Scorpion's blade was pulled out of him. He fell to one knee, blood accompanying his labored breaths as his ancient lungs refused to operate as they once used to. His heart beat with a great ferocity, threatening to burst within the confines of his chest and releasing a crimson flood. He clutched harder, fingers digging deeper into the wound, doing little to help mitigate either pain or blood. He squeezed an eye shut, a soft groan drowning itself within the pool of bile and blood that clogged his throat, a weakened but enraged Scorpion slowly lifting himself off the muddy ground.

Another groan, this time sharper and more hurtful, lifted from the red stained mouth that hid behind his blue mask once he too recovered. Though barely standing on his legs, his palm kept to his chest, nursing the wound that he knew too well was a niche in his defense that the other could take to his advantage. He would not waste time then. Fingers turning a cold blue, he aimed for the still hunched figure of the enemy and froze him to the spot, clouds of vapor dispersing in the storm wind.

Another blade formed within his free hand, this time taking the shape of an executioner's axe that was heavy even for him to carry with one hand. His own blood dripped down the length of the hilt as he lifted it into the air so that it hung over his own back, eyes locked on the nape of the frozen statue. Blood spurted from his open wound from the pressure and stained the ice sculpture only momentarily until the heavy rain washed it away. He would have thought it almost depressing how a fountain of his own blood substituted for the rain itself, and that, drenching the frozen Shirai Ryu in it as well. He did not think to murmur perhaps even a prayer as he heaved the massive axe over his head and down upon the Ninja.

A rumble engulfed his ear and his eyes fell upon the sky, the clouds and the tiny needles of downpour tilting as a new air blew against his back. Blood spewed from his mouth and nostrils when his back collided against the earth, the rumble quickly subsiding and a new, searing pain spreading along his jaw till his ears. Fingers grasped his collar and forced him up once again, a set of white, blank eyes now falling into view. He coughed again, scarlet fluid filtering through his cracked mask and spraying all over the unfazed aggressor's hidden face. He had not seen the devastating uppercut coming his way.

"Consider it a mercy," the Specter's voice boomed. "I am sending you to your coward of a brother."

It riled him.

That fact that Scorpion still delved in the memory of his sibling, how he had killed him, how he had made his only family suffer… it riled him. It was a sure message: the Specter recognized his responsibility in giving the Lin Kuei Warrior all the pain he could have ever known. He was aware that he had killed a man who had a brother waiting for him at home, destroyed the hope of the surviving cryomancer of any good in the world, and made him weep tears that would never bring back what he had lost. This man, this vile monster, had always been the reason for his despair and today was when Sub Zero had become finally sure of it.

He thrust a cold fist into the villain's belly, latching on to the soft insides that he promptly began freezing. Scorpion's hold quickly wore off as the man leaned away, crying in the agony that engulfed his body and leaving the other to instead hook his collar with his free hand. The organ hardened under his fingers and he tightened his grip, the block of ice and flesh shattering into tiny shards within the Specter's own body. The gold-garbed Ninja jerked back from the pain but was promptly pulled back by Sub Zero who rammed his head into the other's jaw. Sounds of bone crunching and snapping rang in their ears followed by a hardened gasp only from the defeated Shirai Ryu.

"YOU…!" Sub Zero cried, hooking the dazed Ninja in the jaw as he kept his firm hold upon the latter's mantle. "_YOU _ARE A COWARD!"

Why was it that fate did not agree with the course of the battle? Was it not in his right to gain what was rightfully his? Did his vengeance did not matter? Was it against the laws of the universe for him to win; To find peace in his brother's death?

Why was it that the good never win?

He did not know the answers. He was not familiar with the questions either. The only thing he truly could have faith in was the returning darkness. He feared it, but did not question it. He did not welcome it, but let it stay. He could not fight it after all. The descent of nothingness called for the departure of his mind, soul and heart. It left nothing of him but his body, an empty, lost and reasonless shell that did not even have the mind to question why it was so empty in the first place. His fists fell to his side as he stared out at the world that did not belong to him.

There stood before him a man, though he would not know what a man was, bleeding, though he would not know what blood was, looking back at him, though he would not know what that hate was that sparked in his eyes.

He fell to his knees, though he would not know what weakness was, his body finally succumbing to the wound that still bled, though he would not know what pain was, and looked down upon the red that stained his ancient hands, though he would not know what death was.

He knew nothing, felt nothing and sensed nothing.

In the moment that the darkness enveloped him in its throes once again, he had become just that.

Nothing.

He saw that man, his eyes never leaving him as the Grandmaster descended to the ground, a sword in the former's hands glinting in the blaze of lightning that only so once passed underneath the heavy clouds. He came near him, his white orbs scrutinizing him, registering a confusion that the Lin Kuei had no knowledge of. Sub Zero merely stared at the other man, unaware of his amusement as he held the blade towards him, ready to cut him like a sacrifice upon an altar.

Tears moistened his eyes, though he would not know what grief was.

* * *

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Personally, I think I fail at fight scenes and this was no exception. What's your view on it? Leave a feedback and I'll be sure to hopefully improve my shit.

**xVentressx: **You too, toots.

**retro and vintage: **I think it was alright when I discussed matters with you through those messages. Shooting myself would be a better option than to reply to that all over again. And figures, if I answer every single one of your questions at the end of every chapter, then it'll make more sense if a make separate chapters for that alone. But still, many, many, MANY thanks.

**en-lumine: **Thanks for another review, good ma'am/sir (sorry I forget). Sorry I couldn't update it sooner than what you would've liked but with studies and all, this is as fast as I can get. Hope to hear from you again.

**animevideogame freak:** Of course you are, how can I ever forget about you? You're one of my first reviewers that stuck through the entire shit. You know you're my sweetheart.

**ArrogantDiety: **Well then a little welcome to you then. Glad to see that you've enjoyed the story and characters so far and I hope to keep at it. And thanks for another review.

**Binary and Trance: **You have no idea how stoked I get when I hear from you. Thanks for reviewing (again) and also for sharing in my miseries. Yes, college is sort-of going good and sort-of not going good, but hey, who's to complain? I picked it out of all the others in my city. Have a swell day, mein frauline.

**Ludra90:** Thanks for the review. You know, now you say it, you do have a good point. Ah well, we'll see what we can do about it. After all, it's unfair if the other sister is left out, now isn't it?

**edinarain: **You say that and the exact opposite happens. If you get the chance to read this, you have to agree that the descriptions overpower the narrative this time. It feels awful because I tried to plan a good fight without having to take too many names too many times that I think the scene got lost somewhere in between. Sorry you'll have to deal with that in this chapter and maybe the next one as well.


	14. Crash and Burn

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides any and all characters, places and events I choose to add on my whim.

A/N: 'Qian Taitung' (_chee-ahn tie-toong)_ is the localized name for Outworld. Also, if you are a fan of either of the main characters here, then LOL!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Crash and Burn

It was strange that way. Every moment he had spent on trying to smite the Lin Kuei Warrior seemed like a memory that he had believed to have dwindled away. The anger, the hatred and the madness that once reigned upon his mind had finally vanished, leaving him with a blade ready in hand to at least gain one half of his vengeance. Here was the moment where he had one duty to fulfill, one weight of his curse that needed to be lifted – perhaps that could have been the reason why he felt Sub Zero's murder was more of an obligation rather than a personal vindictive against him.

He gazed on at his bloodied and beaten opponent, curled up in the dirt, his aged hands weakly pressing against the gaping niche in his chest. The other's gnarled fingers, bent and pale like those of a skeleton, moved about the length of his torso in confusion; was he confused? It was long enough time to stare on aimlessly at the fallen Lin Kuei, perhaps in a long while, without any reflection of revenge, hatred or bitterness welling deep inside the Specter. Since in a long time, he felt his spirits slowly being lifted, a burden being thrown off and never to be taken up again, a curse already peeling away from his existence.

A sharp whistle cut through the air and snapped the Ninja out of his trance. It had taken a brief moment for a thought to register: did that sound come from behind him? With retribution mere inches away, rational fear did not settle in quite as quickly as it would have. Absentmindedly, he turned around at the beck of an invisible voice somewhere in the back of his head, telling him – screaming at him – to look before it was too late.

The earth trembled slightly with the pounding paws of a generously loaded steed of the Edenian military, its coat and the provisions mounted upon its massive back drenched in the rain. The Shirai Ryu was frozen still, the little voice in his head now no longer whispering warnings to him. He clenched his fists and, his eyes darting to and fro – towards the sparse figures clashing against each other in the distance, to the near dead Sub Zero and then towards the woman now standing erect in front of him. The _janahua_ slowed its sprint as it approached the female, heaving a plume of its saliva into the cold storm winds.

"You needn't have to worry," she said as she reached for the load, her dead arm dangling beside her, the untouched limb doing the work of pulling out a rusted, flimsy looking blade from beneath the sack. The rain did little to clean her blood-spattered skin and clothes, the crimson having dried from the heat prior to the storm. Sliding the old weapon in her sash at the hip, she reached for the sack once again to fish out another similar blade. This one she kept pressed in her palm, even as she pushed away the strands of hair that stuck to her distorted visage. "I don't prefer attacking when one has his back turned…" she smiled before adding, "Not my style."

"How–!" he bellowed furiously, his nails digging into his flesh as he tightened his fists.

"Oh please, don't ask me to explain!" she sighed profoundly, not letting him to complete his words. Her face suddenly twisted in that of agony and she crouched slightly, grasping onto her limp arm as an ethereal green mist spewed from the gaping wound, circling the entire limb in its mystic hue. She groaned once in pain, biting on her half-painted lip for a lingering moment, until after the wave of pain had subsided did the woman's cold blue eyes fluttered open. She straightened herself, a grin returning to her unrecognizable face. "It's a complicated matter. If I start talking about it right now, I'll bore you to _death_ instead."

She spat the word _death_ with a sinister tongue, a hand once again reaching down for the useless limb and pain resurfacing on her face. This time, she refrained from squeezing her eyes shut but the forlorn moan did escape from her still curled lips. Scorpion gazed on at her silently, hearing her complain to herself how much it hurt, yet the questions that loomed in his head did not roll of his tongue no more. He stood by silently, watching the wretch once again steady herself on her feet, his anger having spiraled away into oblivion and leaving him to question himself.

_She was dead._

A new voice sprang up in his mind, pitiful and dejected.

"Still confused?" she demanded.

_I could have killed her._

"You still want an explanation. I see…"

_She was powerless. She was weak._

"You should start using your head, Tabo…!"

_Then why is she standing right before me?_

"I stand here, alive and well, a weapon in my hand and a resolve for battle, despite all the effort you rendered in trying to bring me down. I have lived nearly five hundred times longer than you… ask yourself; would you really think it would have been this easy to bring down the Empress of Edenia?"

He was silent.

"I had managed to carve a reputation for myself in Outworld so many years ago. People knew me by my titles, not by my name. There was one out of all of them that even I took pride in…"

She slowly lifted the wounded arm and splayed her fingers before her face, causing the jade hue to flicker gently at the movement. Rain kept pouring, yet steam lifted from the earth underneath and around the woman, the hot earth hissing sadistically wherever cool drops of water splashed upon the surface.

"They called me The Witch of Qian Taitung"

A ring of emerald green fire erupted from the earth, the blaze screeching in such fury that the Ninja pressed his hands against his ears. The heat scorched his skin; no fire but that conjured through dark sorcery could harm him. She burst into disturbed laughter, the cackle accentuating the deafening screams of the enchanted blaze and she never stopped until the overwhelming force pushed Scorpion back several paces. He looked around and was met with the frightened faces of his enemies. The Forces of Light, with eyes split wide and the women cupping their mouths with trembling hands looked on at the Shirai Ryu and the crazed Edenian, the horror on their pitiful faces hinting at a terrible end for the gold-garbed warrior.

And when he turned back, he did not realize that the laughter had long faded away. The monstrous green fires now burned coolly around her feet, as if lulled to sleep by the now disappearing storm winds. Fear trickled up his spine and his senses flew into chaotic frenzy at the sight of the woman, her calm, calculating gaze boring through his flesh and aiming straight for the heart. His trembling fingers, though numb and lifeless, tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"I'll provide you with one last answer before I cut you to pieces," she said, lifting a wrangled finger into the jaded mist. The Specter's grip grew even tighter, the blade now a minute degree higher in the air and poised for an attack. "I kept a good count…"

His brows narrowed only slightly, his muscles tensing and adrenaline rapidly pumping through his veins when all warning signs within his body suddenly went off.

"There had always been eighteen men…"

A cry tore through his throat with such ferocity that he feared blood may have sprayed into the air. He threw the entire force of his body towards her in speeds he never knew he was capable of neither accustomed to. The blind movement spun his world out of control and he only caught a distorted flash of the woman's figure, still amidst the green energy. His blade sang as it cut through the air and aimed for the bloodied neck of the Edenian but the attack was left unfulfilled. He froze up once more, his eyes clearly displaying his shock when she swayed closer to him, her nose only a breath away from his mask.

He pulled back, a terrified gasp escaping his lips long before he realized she had easily intimidated him. The Ninja felt as if the air had been sucked out of his lungs and so stood gasping, his knees slightly bent – indicators of mental exhaustion. Could she really do that? Could just staring into her eyes from that up close really have that effect? He gulped in air a last time before he assumed posture once again, that still would not deter the enemy, let alone give her a reason to hold up the weapon she kept firmly gripped in her hand.

Scorpion lunged at her again, piercing at her with the very point of his blade, but the wench merely side stepped and held the steel in her fingers. The sword was pulled out of his hands before he even knew it. He stood still, oxygen continuing to pump out of his lungs and his mind spinning into madness, with eyes wide he merely looked on as the woman held up the hand she used to snatch his weapon from him and displayed the sickening new gash to the man. Pain was nearly invisible from her face, except only when she narrowed her eyes when the ethereal magic wafted from the slowly closing wound.

A hook meant for her jaw hit only air once the woman ducked away, missing the attack by inches. He saw the dreadfully slow dodge and prepared another jab followed by a sweep that also failed to hit the target. She was _dancing_ away the assault, her graceful motions contrasting with the rigid and cumbersome offense of the Ninja. Twisting the length of his body, he attempted a full roundhouse kick at a dangerously steep level, bringing his ankle down upon her head that narrowly failed the mark. He took opportunity of the momentum and followed with a flatter roundhouse, his shin crashing straight into her neck.

She had grasped the leg before it made contact, allowing it to gently touch under her ear as she slid backwards, dragging the Shirai Ryu with her and causing him to lose balance. He held to the ground, furious and outraged at the mockery she was making of him, more so when she stabbed the ground with his own sword and paced away in a gesture that he take back what belonged to him. Scorpion lifted himself up, kicking away the stuck sword and instead unsheathing an even deadlier weapon; chains jittering against each other as the gleaming kunai slipped out from his sash and into his fingers.

He did not bother with an order when he thrust the spear towards her.

She did not bother parrying it.

The woman caught the weapon midair with ease, her eyes sparkling in the same amusement as they did when she stole his sword right out of his hands. She wound the chain around the still healing arm and planted her small feet firmly into the otherwise soft mud; a direct challenge.

"Bitch!" he bellowed as he grasped the edges of his rusting mask and peeled it off to reveal a grotesque, black skull burning atop his shoulders. The Ninja tugged at the spear and felt her give way, a ball of hellfire readying in his jaws. A scream cut through the thick air as a ghastly entity, a jade ghost with outstretched claws and wild long tresses bound in the chains of his spear rushed through the distance and flew towards him. The growing fire in his jaws suddenly dissipated from the surprise, leaving only a weak stream to burn right through the screeching spirit, vaporizing it completely.

He stumbled forward before falling face first into the dirt as the woman on the other end of the spear pulled him towards her, her illusion having fulfilled its purpose. She unbound her half dead arm and broke the kunai off the chain, tossing him back the shackles whilst she kept the blade to herself.

"Put that back on, you'll make me vomit," she ordered without any trace of mock in her voice as the ninja quickly steadied himself on his feet. How was she doing all this? Was she _that_ strong? Or was he _that_ weak? "Don't make a fool of yourself, Tabo. It's not fair to lose your respect in front of your friends."

And she pointed towards the distance where the Specter's eyes followed, leaving him in mortified astonishment at the distance he had created between themselves and the watching Sub Zero. Though afar, there was an unmistakable glint in the former's eyes; the old man was merely a dismayed bystander, frightened and exhausted like the Shirai Ryu. The eyes registered knowledge of what was happening, that Sub Zero was no longer succumbing to the random falls in his mysterious illness. Right now, the Lin Kuei understood the battle and, like everyone else, was rooted to the spot, somehow unable to interrupt the clash.

Was it pity in those olden orbs? Pity that his vendetta against an old nemesis would go unfinished? Or pity that Scorpion would die a terrible death?

"It's good…" came the ghostly voice of the Empress. He turned towards her, meeting her wretched smile. She was laughing solemnly, almost as if even she was tired of fighting him. Through pure arrogance and foolhardiness did she slip the blade she had held on for so long into her sash along with its twin. She shifted back her right leg whilst her frame eased back to allow her to streamline her stance. The laughter faded away into silence yet her wicked amusement reflected through her poised smile. "… I can stop playing with you now…"

He felt the wind blow past his ears with the speed she approached him – he never saw her coming, only managed a small glimpse when she had inched close to his face once again, green lights now dancing in her otherwise cold blue eyes. Time seemed as if it had slowed down, leaving his body trapped within the frame but leaving his mind to watch the world speed by. His hand crept up in the air and gripped her shoulder, his eyes not even completing a blink as he saw her fingers gently, yet swiftly swerve his kunai – his own damned kunai – and place it on his arm.

He had every knowledge in the world what she was going to do to him in the next split second but she was too fast. His body still somehow mired in time that was drifting to a halt whilst the woman easily surpassed its constraints. Her lips kinked into a devilish grin as a fountain of blood leisurely spewed and splayed into the sky, splashing onto her face as well as his exposed skull. Pain had not even travelled down his torso when he already saw the Empress lean gracefully away, his arm without its host still grasping on to her shoulder.

When the agony hit him, time returned to its pace.

Scorpion screeched like his soul had been set on fire, blood now gushing out in abnormal quantities and bathing the woman in crimson. Her white teeth once glimmering behind her disgusting smirk were now too hidden behind the coat of blood, leaving only a set of blue mixed with enchanted green eyes to remain clean from the bath. He stumbled and fell on his back, his intact hand squeezing at the cut limb in a desperate attempt to halt the loss of blood, all while he screamed until it tore the flesh of his throat, causing him to bleed more.

She eased lower and mounted the downed man, staring into the hollow darkness of his sockets and dripping his own blood on him so that the surface of his skull hissed painfully. She maintained her calm smile for lingering moments until the Ninja's screams had faded away into pathetic gasps that gave her all the more reason to be amused. The fire that once blazed around his horrid features grew disturbingly tame, his jaw prying open as a groan drifted from between his teeth. She was close enough, yet weakness kept him from spitting a burst of flames right onto her wrteched face.

"Such a silly little scorpion…" she murmured as her tongue slipped through her bloodied lips, the appendage divided cleanly into two so that it resembled a serpent's tongue when she licked at the damp air. "To think he could take on a snake…"

He growled as she slowly thrust in one of the twin rusting blades she had removed from her sash, wisps of dark magic lifting from the newly carved wound and wounding around her arm. He felt his breath and already faded strength drain from his flesh – was she consuming his soul?

"I told you _my _story," she picked on, the blade now out from his tender flesh, the woman no longer feeding on his soul. "A great detail of it too, and yet that was not even the gist of it. But… you still owe me."

She cradled his no longer burning skull with her wet finger, painting it red.

"Why did you do all this?"

He held back his tongue more out of defiance rather than to preserve his energy. She would not leave the matter resolve however as she stabbed him in his wound, sucking out a bit of his essence. He yelped but soon fell silent once the horrid weapon was removed once again.

"…I…"

"Yes?"

"… K-kill… kill… kill him…"

"Sub Zero?"

"… Qua-… Quan…"

"Quan Chi," she completed the sentence for him, pushing in her blade a third time into his flesh. "Hmm… No doubt Baraka would have to turn on you. You idiots, playing your double games and you never realise how easily you slip…"

She turned her eyes towards him, the smile now a thin, quizzical frown, the blade finally leaving his body the last time.

"Understandable, but you still have not answered my question," she continued, sheathing the weapon in her sash and slipping off him so that she would kneel on the ground rather than over what was left of his face, though she did choose to lean lower so that her breath fell upon his cooling bones. "_Why_ did you do this?"

"… He…"

He was at a loss for words.

What… Why _did _he do this?

"What?" she pressured him but he could not give her an answer even he was not aware of.

_Why… am I…_

_Why do I fight… him?_

_Why do… I fight… them?_

"I…"

She narrowed her eyes, straining to shut off all surrounding noises so she could catch what he was trying to whisper.

_What am I… fighting for?_

"What was your purpose?" she rephrased the question, growing slightly weary how confused the dying Ninja was behaving. Brows furrowing together, she scrutinised how fragments of senseless murmurs escaped him, the Shirai Ryu at most repeating part of the Sorcerer's name.

He did not know why.

And in that moment, a new realisation dawned upon him.

He had lost his purpose here in the world of the living.

He stopped mumbling, his jaw snapping shut and his safe arm srpinging to life, latching on to her arm. She jerked back, perplexed at the sudden reflex but did not take action to remove him from her. Instead, time slowed its pace down once more only now it dragged along the Empress at its sluggish pace. Her head gradually turned towards him, her eyes turning a calm, oceanic blue as the opened up gently – somehow, Scorpion felt he saw concern seeping though those orbs yet it did little to calm him. His mouth split apart, a rumble only emergin in his throat, a dismayed "No" tryin to make its way out.

Columns of blazing hellfire tore up from the ground, scattering smoldering red rocks into the vicinity, the two warriors caught within the eye of the fiery tornado. The woman held up her free hand before her face, trying to cover herself with the sleeve to keep her skin from melting all while struggling to free herself from the Specter's iron grip. The ferocious flames sucked away the oxygen from the center, forcing her to now gulp for the quickly vanishing air. The earth heaved again, collapsing into itself and opening up a pit of flames from underneath Scorpion, hideous creatures unimaginable and beyond comprehension reaching out from the pit.

Their claws latched on to the screaming Shirai Ryu, digging into his flesh and proceeding to burn him in Hell's fury, the distinct screech of a woman echoing from beneath. The Empress pulled herself away from the Shirai Ryu in an attempt to save herself, somehow creating a tug-of-war between her and the frightening voice to which the sickening monsters obeyed. Scorpion's nails pierced her skin, leaving trails of red along the limb as both sides struggled to pull away.

The earth violently shook again like the coming of a strong force, the pillars of fire raging out even more fiercely than before, the shrieks from the depths growing louder and louder until it made Kitana's ears bleed. A mouth split open from the pit and discharged a new column of hellfire right beneath the damned Ninja, his screams drowned out by that of the woman from hell. The Edenian had pulled away just in time to save herself from the assault and fell upon her back, her eyes turned towards the sky where a monster infinitely huge ripped through the clouds and looked down upon her.

"_**HE IS MINE!**_" the insect-like creature bellowed in an ancient language Kitana could only make out fragments of, though she did not assume the hint of joy present in its otherwise unearthly voice. "_**MINE!**_"

As swiftly it had come, the repulsive giant descended back into the earth, its claws splaying out and piercing the ninja before it disappeared. Amidst the deafening screams and the scorching heat of Hell, the Ninja cried out, an arm outstretched in a final hope as he was slowly dragged into the depths, the mouth of the nether closing on him. And as the earth finally mended itself, the screams no more lingering in the living world and the fiery storm beginning to lose its rage, the Empress steadied herself on her trembling legs and spared the red marks Scorpion had left on her. The sky turned dark a second time that day, scattering ash down on the earth, slowly coating it in a dismayed grey.

She gulped down a ball that forced its way into her throat; the act itself painful for her mouth had gone dry. The Edenian lifted her scratched arm closer, scrutinizing the tracks warily before turning towards the now open distance where the Forces of Light stood watching. She pulled the sleeve down the wounds and continued towards them over the black, scorched lands. The walk itself felt like a long journey as worry racked her mind. She knew she had seen Bedegi. She knew her mortal eyes had absorbed the horrifying image of the Elder of Hell. It was not why the goddess came to reap Scorpion that scared her, but why she showed herself to the mortal Edenian.

She glanced at the scratches again, wondering if Hell had tasted her blood. The woman lifted her lashes to see an injured Sub Zero, keeling over the ground while nursing a deep gash. Through the gently falling ash, his eyes followed her movement, silently begging her to tell him where the Ninja had disappeared. She sucked in a breath, preferring to continue towards the remaining of the lot.

"He's dead…" she answered the invisible query, walking past him. The one called Nightwolf separated himself from the crowd and sprinted towards the Lin Kuei in his aid while Jade came towards her before she reached the lot, a hand that she placed upon her shoulder hastily swatted away. She opened her mouth to retort but fell dully silent when the words refused to leave her lips. Her body seized up and heat gathered in her chest as if she was standing within that chaotic blaze once again.

By the gods, no…

She toppled to the ground and screamed out in the pain that wracked her frail body, her skin burning up like she had fallen in a pool of acid.

_By the gods, no!_

The decayed claws of those hellish monsters appeared from beside her, grasping at her and pinning her to the quickly disintegrating ground. Jade yelped in horror but was pulled away when Hell began to consume the Empress whole. Kitana bit her tongue down to keep herself from screaming; somehow thinking it foolish to cry out like the Specter had moments ago when it was evident what was to happen to her. The people around her called to her yet did nothing to save her, leaving her to witness their terrified faces last before fires closed in around her and the reapers of the nether bit down into her flesh.

Her vision mired with blazing red and the distorted features of her carriers, her body writhing in agony like hell had lit itself inside her and her skin melting in the heat… all Kitana did before the Netherrealm closed its mouth was glimpse at the red ribbons the Specter had imprinted in her flesh.

* * *

It was cold here in hell.

Kitana's eyes fluttered open to a world laden with ash and mountains charred black beneath a dark, brooding sky. It was barren. It was freezing and barren desert, dotted with dark peaks that jutted into the sky and tilted forward as if they hung their heads in dejection. Weak, she tried lifting herself into a sitting position but collapsed easily. This world was hollow and empty, occupied only with a strange chill that bit into her bones.

She ignored the eerie echo of her groans in the otherwise dead silence, holding up her hand before her face and squeezing her eyes shut in frustrations when she realized that the wounds refused to heal. Her spell had been lost; perhaps the corruption of this world drained away all magic. Yet, strangely enough, her skin was free from any burns though it only adorned the injuries she had incurred during battle. Did that mean she was not dead?

'The living do not belong in the world of the dead,' she gave herself an explanation, pressing her palms against the earth to heave herself up but instead felt something soft underneath her fingertips. Squinting, she grasped the delicate thing in her hand and plucked it from the ash laden ground, scrutinizing the thing before letting it drift from her hands. She stood on her still quivering legs, sparing the bed of scanty white flowers a lingering glance before turning and limping away towards the unknown distance.

* * *

**End of Part Two**

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A/N: Yes, Scorpion's arm had been dismembered. No, I did not explain where Kitana threw it. Yes, there'll be an explanation in the later chapters. The Forces of Light, you say? Meh… I'll add them in the next chapter.

Thanks fuckloads to **ArrogantDiety**, **xVentressx** and **en-lumine** for reviewing!

Oh, and do tell me if I should link some crappy BGM to go with the scenes if you review (the answer is "yes").


	15. Requiem for None

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides any and all characters, places and events I choose to add on my whim.

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**Part Three**

**The Noose**

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Chapter Fourteen: Requiem for None

She woke up to nothing. A world neither too dark that she would not be able to see her own battered hands and neither too bright that she would be blinded by the intensity; it was a foreign realm in a most peculiar equilibrium. It was uninviting, empty, cold and all the more a perfect recreation of exactly what constituted Kitana's soul. The Empress herself acknowledged it. In fact, it was the first thing she thought of when her recently opened eyes took in the despairing void surrounding her. Winds did not blow yet the chill still cut through to the bone and froze her marrow, making her teeth chatter uncontrollably and her wounds to throb even more violently.

She would have thought that the spells she employed would have continued to sow back her injuries and regenerate skin and flesh even as she slept as a guest of the Void, but the incessant pain and the traces of gashes only partially healed during what she remembered of her battle in the plains of Qian Taitung signified that the process had long since halted. Squeezing her eyes shut, a disappointed groan drifted from between her blood-stained lips when she saw the funnel Scorpion's sword had dug into the length of her arm never even came near to closing.

The wail echoed loudly within the expanse, shattering the silence that Kitana assumed must have reigned undisturbed for years longer than she could ever hope to live. The minor shuffle of her clothes or the friction of the skin of her finger against the sandy earth resounded like the cries of ghosts long since thought to have been lost to the webs of time. There was something left of it though, a fading trace of the dark arts lingering within her essence: it was not completely lost. She could feel the enchanted energy just barely simmering underneath her ribs, drained but not entirely. The energy, however, was scarce. It was not enough to heal all her wounds, much less the dismal ones. It would be a waste to have the last of her witchcraft spent for nothing, especially on wounds she knew would heal on their own over time.

She turned her palm over, pondering over the lack of charred skin hanging from flesh or the traces of white bone gleaming from underneath melted muscle. Save for any and all wounds she had let the gold ghoul inflict upon her, she was free from the hideous burns of Hell's inferno and the long gashes of skeletal fingers raking her body. And then, lifting the other, she took in the four wisps of crimson that ran from elbow to the wrist.

She stared at it longer than she thought was normal, thinking of things she did not care to remember. It was as if her mind had grown its own life separate from hers, wondering of strange things without her even knowing what they were – she was lost for a moment before the bitter sting of the cold clinching her naked wounds brought her back. She folded her arms across her chest and hugged herself briefly to capture some warmth, turning to her side to push herself up from the white sands. Her fingers ran across a new texture, the minute sounds of skin against the velvety object resonating in the openness of the unfamiliar world.

She patted away the dust when she held it in her hands, confused and rather weary. It was a blossom, whiter than the sands that it almost shone like a pearl within the grey expanse. She rubbed the petals in her coarse fingers, lifting her eyes to see a small bed of the same bleached flowers underneath and around her. The woman then looked around, alert as she found that they only grew where she was previously lying, half hidden in the dust yet still fresh and in full bloom. She took this as an omen, stumbling to her weak knees to escape the dreadful Void for whatever unearthly menace certainly loomed about.

The blossom drifted back to the earth like a wayward snowflake, joining the bed and earning a listless glare from Kitana. She did not wonder about anything – it was like a reaction of the body out of her mind's control, simply staring on, half expecting something to happen and half hoping that everything would lay still as it is. Her grated breaths multiplied in sound and she could hear the unhealthy scrape of air against her windpipe booming in her ears. The woman turned away to face the dark peaks, that leant dangerously close to each other, occupying the horizon beyond which she could make out the faint orange glow of what seemed like the sun.

Kitana took towards the faint source of morning light, gathering her sleeves to wound around her arms as she hid her hands in the bells, pressing them against her chest to keep the warmth from slipping away. She made a lot of noise simply trekking the dunes, her breaths forming into white plumes of vapor just as the ice warrior she had last seen in the world she had been forcefully dragged away from. Through the incessant thrive of her instinctual responses taking control of her body and imposing her mind into a clockwork of survival, there was a singular assumption that pestered her for a fleeting moment before disappearing: what of the empire?

Fingers of a foreign composition circled around the perimeter of her ankles, pulling her down into a dark, murky pool that sprouted from the sands. This was the last she ever thought of her kingdom before she was a device for survival. Throwing herself flat against the earth, she rolled to try wrenching herself free of the grip and came to rest on her back, her hands slipping out from her sleeves. She unsheathed the first blade she felt on her person, wringing it from her sash to unveil the red-stained blade to her hidden attacker. The Empress stabbed at the pool of pitch black, the fingers undoing from her legs and descending back into the sinister darkness it came from.

It did not do any good and Kitana knew. She scrambled to her feet, her eyes darting about cautiously for the black mouth to open up and attempt swallowing her whole – it was not safe just standing around and fighting a substance she knew was impervious to physical harm. Absentmindedly, she spared the blade in her a hand a glance, pausing in meek surprise when she noticed it was not one she was particularly familiar with. A small segment of rusting links dangled from the hilt of the weapon, the last metallic ring crudely twisted and missing the completing perimeter. It was the kunai she had taken from the Specter.

She paced back watchfully, anticipating within the sounds of her own movements echoing around her, the windless vastness doing little to aid her in locating the otherworldly attacker. She glanced over her shoulder at the orange hue rising above the darkened peaks and then one last time at the deceiving, shimmering patch of white blooms in the distance. Expelling a long sigh, she turned around and dashed for the new path.

Never again would she think she was alone.

* * *

He had seen a dream so vivid that when he opened his eyes, he could not believe that he was living in a time far apart. The smells, the sights, the emotions that overwhelmed him even lingered on when he returned to the world of the waking, awestruck and in disbelief that these were all products of a dream. When his eyes opened up to the pale glow of the Outworld sun, trapped behind layers and layers of brooding clouds, streaming in through the windows, he was surprised why he could not remember anything of it. It was so real, so tangible that he thought for a moment if there was a lapse in his memory.

But there was not that peaceful river spreading out before him, the water so deep and the current so strong he would have been easily swept away. His brother, a child, skipping along the boulders was no longer there. He had been screaming and wailing for the boy to come back while he stood by at the bank, his sibling moving further and further away from him, unable to hear his pleas over the crashing of water. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how desperately he begged, the river drowned out his distressed cries. And then, just as he feared, the distance widened and his brother had disappeared into the horizon. This was the only gruesome picture that he remembered of that surreal world that differentiated between what was real and what was a ploy of his mind.

He ran a hand over his wrinkled face, deeply gracious that could not recall the entire dream, for the hurt pleading and the dire feeling that he would not see the boy ever again were enough to convince him that it had been a nightmare all along. He wondered if he should worry why he could only remember that appalling scene that now began to flicker before his eyes, as if the dream itself was mocking him, teasing him.

That alone made him fearful. What if it all had indeed been a memory that had long slipped away and all he was guilty of was not finding it familiar? What if this strange disease that gripped him slowly peeled away at recollections of everything he had seen, everything he had done, felt and everywhere he had been? If that was true, then did it ever happen? Did Bi Han ever distance himself from him when young, ignorant of his fears of losing family?

No.

It was a dream and nothing more. He hated that most about the illness. It was neither the poorly-timed seizures nor the terrifying paralysis he feared most of his mysterious affliction, but rather the dreams his mind would conjure. Trances where he is happy with his brother, where he spends his hours as family with him rather than estranged warriors who were only acquitted by the blood they shared. He knew these peaceful – or painful, depending on how he looked at it – instances were never beyond fantasies. After all, he never even had met his brother during the span of what was his childhood.

"How long was I out?" he demanded from the Blind Swordsman who had been at his side when he had first woken up. Kenshi had only helped the disoriented Lin Kuei up and eased his back against the headrest. It had been a difficult task, for Sub Zero's muscles still ached and he had to be careful of any sudden movements or else his hastily stitched wounds would have opened up again. He was left to his mental conversations while the Blind man remained patiently seated, so dreadfully silent as if respecting the Lin Kuei's contemplations.

"Only a day," Kenshi answered, the window's shutters at the far end of the small room swinging out a little more open and letting the twilight colour the space a lighter shade of violet – Sub Zero knew it was the Swordsman's doing. He lowered his eyes to gaze at the threads that sowed the jagged wound in his chest shut. In due time, it would turn into a scar and in even later years it would nearly disappear, perhaps only remaining as a strand of discoloration across his ghostly white torso. That was, of course, assuming his mortal coil would last long enough. "You still remember Goong?"

General Goong of the Edenian Military to be more precise – if there had to be one more familiar with the officer than any other of the Forces of Light, it was Sub Zero. The Ice Master parted his lips to answer in the affirmative but fell short of words when he felt there was ridicule in the other's voice. For a short minute, he stared at the Agent's face, slightly dumbfounded but soon assumed he was jumping to conclusions.

"Y-… Yes," he replied.

"He wants you to meet him."

"This urgently?"

The Korii Warrior gently swung his legs over the side of the bed where he could glance out the window, observing the towers he had seen before albeit from a starkly different angle. There was no qualm that he was back at the city of Lei Chen, though the suffocating size of the room and not to mention that the windows gave view of the hind of the otherwise graciously constructed buildings suggested he had been stationed in less extravagant housing space. Strapping on his footwear first, the Grandmaster collected the top piece of his garment that lay neatly folded upon a shelf as tall as his knees. The tears had been expertly stitched and the blood had been scrubbed away, though the faint tint of brown still remained on the fabric.

It was trouble pulling the under-vest over his shoulder and this time without Kenshi's aid, the task itself loosening stitches in the side of his ribs. He donned the over-mantle, leaving the chained nets he wore underneath for protection along with the remainder of his armor, though he did equip his mask and the metallic helmet to encase his skull. In the last, he swiftly scooped up the ancient Dragon Medallion ideally placed besides the remaining adornments and armor and tucked it away in a hidden pocket stitched into the under-layer of the mantle.

"As soon as you are feeling any better," Kenshi replied, pushing the door open before he even touched it with his hands and stepping outside with the dressed Sub Zero following his lead. Walking into the brief hallway, muffled voices in argument fell upon his ears, growing steadily louder as the two descended the wooden staircase. The den was much brighter than any other part of the entire building owing to the collections of lanterns set about wherever there was empty space. Hearing their footsteps clop against the boarded steps, Johnny whipped his head around and lifted up a palm in a manner of greeting. The actor looked exhausted.

"Stop giving a crap!" it was Sonya who barked at an equally furious Jade, the latter woman's face contorted in a mixture of fury and disgust. The mentor of warriors, Bo' Rai Cho stood in the center of the quarrel, pushing away the Edenian Guard and tiredly instructing her to calm down. His words seemed to be having little effect as the dark-skinned female refused to take her eyes away from the raging blonde, her lips pulled back in a fearsome snarl. The Korii Warrior's feet had only touched upon the foot of the stairs when Briggs leapt in to control the situation, telling off his subordinate in that deep-set, gravelly voice of his.

"It's not a matter of whether she'd return or whether she deserved my prayers but without Kitana's acting presence in this god-forsaken desert, the natives will burst out of control," Jade retorted, her voice lower than that of the hot-headed blonde but retaining a greater firmness when the words spewed from between gritted teeth. Her powerful aura only subdued Sonya's frenzy long enough for her to stare her down, the cabin falling into silence. Sub Zero stepped into the crowd while Kenshi choosing to remain at the end of the stairs, eyes now turning towards the Chinese warrior and all except for the quarrelling women paying him heed. "With the following anarchy, you can't expect any real escape. No… not from this realm, I assure you. Tyrant or not, she was the only thing preserving whatever harmony people here had been fooled into thinking existed… Forget about ever returning to your disease-ridden world. With her gone, we are trapped here as long as the gods wish."

"What's going on?" the Grandmaster demanded, raising his voice to capture the attention of the only two raging females and cutting off Jade's string of thought before she hurled any more insinuations Blade's way. Dull silence only followed with nervous eyes locking on to the oblivious Lin Kuei and Jade casting him a fearsome glare before it was Sonya who whipped around, stomping away in scorn, violently knocking a lantern off its pedestal before disappearing into a connected hallway. Her thudding footsteps could almost be felt vibrating within the floor boards until they had heard the slamming of a door, after which no sound followed. Jax sighed, placing one hand on the hip and the other one caressing his sweat coated face.

"I am to escort you to Goong," Jade said coolly, sighing to release the last of her frustration in order to regain composure. She was not looking at him, rather her eyes found more interest in keeping to the floor and his boots especially when she addressed him. Feeling that information kept was being kept from him, Sub Zero was almost prompted to repeat his question. Only when he realized tensions were still simmering and prodding into the matter would perhaps worsen the situation did he purse back his lips and nodded in acknowledgement. Jade refrained from looking at him even as she turned around to walk leisurely towards the exit.

He hesitantly followed with Kenshi trailing closely behind.

* * *

Tearing her sleeves from the elbows, she bound the cloth around her wrists and covered her hands, securing a knot tight enough to ensure that she would not slip out of them midway into climbing. The cold may reach into her elbow joints, but it was a sacrifice necessary. Without anything protecting her fingers from the chilled rocks, her skin could have easily been peeled away stuck to the crag. Squeezing her feet into the thin fractures, she hoisted herself up and began her ascent towards the other side of the Void.

She had lived long enough in the Outworld to become accustomed to traversing the vast and badly dissected landscapes of the realm. But she remembered the greatest obstacle in her encounters of climbing the most merciless of mountains was the exhaustion. At least back then she had the leisure of stopping to rest when her muscles began to ache and tending to her scraped knees or broken fingers from attempting risky jumps. In this new and strange world, the situation was starkly different; with a shadow demon lurking in any plausible nook within the harrowed lands, there was no reason she could stop moving. No matter how brutally exhausted her body was, no matter the terrible stinging of her wounds, survival depended upon keeping to her feet and pressing on against the unforgiving world.

The gradient became steeper not too long during the climb, forcing her on a dangerous angle against the scarp that if she chose to lean out just a tad bit, she would surely have fallen to the earth. Finding purchase on some stable rock, she let herself swing by an arm while she used her free hand to grasp at her steel fans. It had been not a moment too soon when she thought against the idea of using at least her special weapons for this unworthy task, instead fishing out the Ninja's spear and thrusting it into the black walls. It was well understood that using the blade this way would wear it down, eventually rendering useless for defense if she ever encountered a threat in this unholy desert.

Her muscles tightened and flexed, forcing a few cuts to open up wider and spill fresh blood as she kept her ascension, her brows knitting when she realized temperatures were quickly fluctuating. She would have thought that the energies spent in the effort of scaling the badly dissected terrain was what was causing her body to heat up, but in fact, when the bare skin of her elbows touched against the warm earth, she realized climates were shifting. Sparing the ground below her a brief glance, she saw the white desert sands shaped up into bulbous folds like that in a blanket, the skies beyond still painted black. Refusing to stop, sweat now trickled down in streams and her skin pinched wherever she came into contact with stone.

It was getting hotter the higher she climbed up. Heat lifted off from the naked mountainsides like the waves of the sea, singeing her airways with every breath. Her injuries now crackled as flesh was slowly being boiled in the scorching hotness, the sleeves covering her fingers turning black. The ends of her hair fizzled and the earth began to crack open from the heat, sending cinders no larger than droplets of water to singe her clothes and skin. She gasped for a mouthful of air, suffocating in the horrendous heat and finding her lungs to be failing her from the severe waves of exhaustion.

She slipped, just barely latching on to firm rock but at the cost of having her stomach, chest and legs pressed against the burning mountainside. She cried out painfully, pushing herself away on her feet only a little to keep herself from touching the smoldering earth, continuing to gulp for air as she looked up at the apex. The golden hue still glowed amidst the blackened sky, hidden behind the crest of the spine of mountains separating her from possible escape. Forcing the kunai into the scarp once again, she thrust herself upwards, feeling the immense heat now burning the skin off her skull.

It was only a short climb to the peaks, the only thing keeping her from persisting upon the ascent being the fatal heat. Her sleeves quickly began disintegrating and her eyes now watering, forced tears spilling momentarily before drying up on her skin. Reaching into a niche, she made the final effort in scaling the peak, the golden lights from beyond now blaring right onto her face. Steadying herself upon her feet, she quickly undid the sash at her waist and, laying her entire collection of weapons – her fans and the stolen spear of the Ninja, she slipped off the tattered over-mantle of her layered robes and pulled the once decorative cloth over her scalp, wounding it around her face as a makeshift hood and mask. Forcing her red, tearing eyes to open a bit wider, she took in the source of the orange glow which she had mistakenly assumed to be the sun.

Streams of molten red earth fanned across the lands, scarring ugly, charred mountains that rose from the unholy earth like the jaws of a demon. The screams of putrid creatures, some gliding through the air and into the mouth of volcanoes to their death, some roaming the earth and tearing at each other echoed in the distance. The sky was an infernal crimson, with geysers and tornadoes of hellfire blasting up into the cloudless expanse, raking away at the makeup of the terrain. Amidst the pools of flowing lava and the burnt ground twisting into massive crevices, she saw a mass of rock, shaped as a demon's skull, a jigsaw of pointed rock forming its crude, toothy grin.

She turned back around, finding that the sickening red glow of the infernos of this starkly different stretch of earth drowned out the darkness of the abyss she had climbed out from – the light shrouded the Void. She could not see beyond an empty darkness, as deep and black as the sky she had previously seen greeting her. It was as if there was nothing beyond it, as if the Void never existed to begin with. Looking back at the burning earth lying before her, she wondered if she should retreat. But retreat to what? The hollowness, where the only escape she would know of would always be beyond the brooding peaks that shielded it from these scorched lands?

Every way she would try and climb the mountains, she was certain that she would always come back to this fiery world. Glaring at the grotesque parody of a damned creature's skull, she knew that her path weaved through the infernal stretch. Kneeling, she carefully inspected for solid earth to find footing upon, beginning her descent into the burning mouth of molten rock and jagged earth.

It was then that she understood that this realm was not as unfamiliar as she once assumed it to be. The screams of tortured beings ringing in her ears and the hot earth continuing to scorch her clothes and skin, she understood that she had been cast into Hell all along.

* * *

"I apologize for the lack of proper facilitation, but the Palace is currently off limits for common residents," the much sought-after General Goong sighed anxiously after he greeted the Lin Kuei and bid Jade a temporary farewell as she departed from the group. The Edenian was not as nearly composed as he usually was: the man seemed slightly frightened and tired. His pacing was cumbersome and hinted at some nervous fit that threatened to seize him, much less the sweat that made his exposed cheeks and the bridge of his nose glimmer despite the poor light. He stood by at the gates of the main Palace, a handful of lesser ranked soldiers flanking his sides with polished staffs in their hands. Upon greeting Sub Zero, Goong had led him into the interior walls, though through a different path than he remembered. When chancing upon the training bowl, the same where he had eavesdropped upon Nightwolf and Jade, the Ice Master realized he was near the military cantonments.

They followed into and across the training fields towards the east gates of the walled arena, two guards occupying the raised platform that housed the heavy wrought iron doors. Clicking their boots against the slab, they paced away from the entryway when Goong and his men marched up to them. One reached out and undid the beam lodged within the metal handles, the doors creaking outwards as a draft from inside the long, stone hallway fell upon their faces. There were only a few lanterns adorning the wall that were still nursing tame fires, leaving the path darker than it should have been – the wilting breeze had snuffed the flames out. Sub Zero was not unaware of the absurdity of wind sourcing from inside the building.

Under normal circumstances, the hall should have been hot but owing to the mysterious breeze drifting in from the other side of the path, the long walk was relatively pleasant. Though it did not matter to the Lin Kuei how warm the building was, he could not ignore the moisture the air carried. The pathway descended into a series of cobblestone stairs, nearly every step almost a foot apart. The staircase led directly to another set of heaving metallic doors, this time secured with chains the size of the Lin Kuei's biceps and two beams stuck across the giant handlebars. Twelve guards stood by at attention, the gates despite being secured tightly vibrating slightly from whatever force lay behind them, making the enormous chains jilter. A faint whistle escaped from the tiny cracks as air from the hidden source seeped through and created the draft within the hallway above.

Goong motioned for him and his group to stand back as the stationed guards went about the work of removing the heavy chains and displacing the beams; the doors would have flown open and crushed the men against the walls if the soldiers did not already press themselves against the iron set, pushing against the ferocious blast of air that escaped. Sub Zero reinforced his stance to streamline with the raging wind and keep himself from toppling over, the others also assuming protective positions. Water pelted their bodies immediately drenching them to the extent that it filled their boots, the screams of a man just barely sounding over the howls of the miniature storm brewing inside the building.

They pushed against the wind and precipitation as they led down another shorter set of stairs, the task itself rather difficult as the floors were flooded with inch deep water, slowly making way along the numerous empty cells that they so commonly came across. The barks of the enraged entity became more and more audible as they treaded deeper into what Sub Zero understood were the dungeons, meeting a sparse collection of the Edenian militia gathered about a certain chamber, their bodies drooping with exhaustion and bathed in the rain that sourced from the aggressive being within.

Amongst the already fatigued soldiers, Sub Zero and Kenshi quickly spotted Nightwolf wearing a tired frown. Pushing through the lot, the Grandmaster approached the Shaman, locking hands in greeting before he turned to the cell which had captured the full attention of all present within the jailhouse. Within the chamber was a man, his beaten body hovering above the earth from the force of the wind he dispelled in pure fury, strings of glowing green energy tied to an enchanted pattern cast upon the ground shackling his limbs and neck. The pattern was a spell of Nightwolf's work, meant to contain and grasp the spiritual – the man they had imprisoned Sub Zero immediately identified as one of the abductors.

"He's bound to the spot!" the Apache hollered at the top of his lungs as he addressed the Lin Kuei. "But we can't retain his energies! Any chance you can contain them?"

Sub Zero did not nod in reply as he turned to face the furious demigod, discharging his talent to freeze the waves of rain and creating a wall of ice that swiftly barricaded nature's rage from beating upon the crowd present within the chamber. He continued to freeze the wall, reinforcing it and making sure that it remained frozen for a considerable time before he was required to chill it again. The storm inside evidently turned against the man who was creating it, forcing him to withdraw his aggressive gesture and allowing calm to finally reign within the dungeons.

"It will be about several hours before it melts," Sub Zero announced, turning back in hopes of talking to Nightwolf regarding the situation but met Goong instead. "Was that all you required of me or…?"

"The situation is much more complicated than you assume, _aten_," the Edenian General used another word the Lin Kuei did not know what it meant, but the tone used was not as bitter as a certain woman used when she insulted him without his knowledge. Whatever the translation, he loved to think it was used in the positive sense. "I believe you are not quite aware of the Empress's untimely death?"

"What?" he suddenly blurted out in surprise, shifting his gaze to the Shaman who did not even return the glance. Shock was absent from his tired features – either Nightwolf did not hold any amount of regard for Kitana's demise or he was well aware of this information long before it had been unveiled to the Korii Warrior. He recalled the moment he had drifted into oblivion, the blurry image of Jade screeching in panic while a seemingly unconscious Empress rested upon the ground. Was she really unconscious? Why did the thought that she had died never reach him?

Perhaps it was denial that the woman could ever succumb to death. Albeit, she played alongside death when she seemingly rose from her half-dead state and effortlessly annihilated the Specter who had previously cut her down. The same woman who was greeted by the gargantuan from hell, surrounded by infernal geysers of fire, who walked out with only news of the demise of her enemy to spare be downed so easily – it was difficult for the thought to register. She seemed indestructible, as if her being alive mocked death; how was it possible? How was it possible for her to die so weakly?

He remembered Jade's words when he had stumbled upon the argument earlier that day. Even then, when her statements clearly expressed the Empress's death, Sub Zero did not realize it. Even so, was he the only one within Fujin's ensemble of fighters to be concerned with the woman's demise? Knowing that Nightwolf would not meet his gaze, he felt strange to be the only one between them to express surprise and – dare he say it – remorse. After all, no matter what her intentions had been, was she not his… savior?

"I should have known that you may have blacked out before everything happened," Kenshi spoke up after a long time, stepping up to stand at the Lin Kuei's side but always facing ahead of him. His matted, short hair just barely hung over his forehead and let water drip down and drench his blindfold more than it already was. "Sorry."

"What 'happened'?" Sub Zero demanded, feeling that more was being kept from him.

"Again, sorry for the lack in details," the Swordsman piped up. "Kitana experienced a brief seizure before whatever came for Scorpion took her as well."

"_She was claimed by the Nether_?" his words were harsh and why would they not be? He felt it his right to know the moment he woke up – in some way, in some sense, it was his right to know. Yet here his own allies treated it as it was some minor talk of the day, aloof of the possibilities that Hell may hunt them down the same way it did the Shirai Ryu and the Empress. "Why am I the last to know about this?"

"Because we're not exactly sure if she really did die," the Shaman responded, still not turning his eyes towards the flaring Lin Kuei.

"We saw what happened," Goong argued with Nightwolf who already straightened himself and pushed past him to exit the jailhouse. As he walked by Sub Zero and Kenshi, he muttered something under his breath that would otherwise sound like a muffled curse to anyone else.

"She was pretty much alive…" he had said.

* * *

Kitana knew that only hours had passed but the duration of her stay here felt like it stretched into days. Skipping the last few feet of the descent back to earth, she slid along the scarp and landed on the crisp, cracked earth. Heat wafted from the ground just as it did off the hot black rocks that made the wallowing peaks, seeping into her sweat and blood drenched clothes. She panted behind the dirty veil, her tongue and throat as dry as the desert she had come from. In this excessive heat, her body easily perspired and fed off the nourishing liquids it possessed. She was dry and thirsty, but in this burning hole what chance did she have of actually coming upon water?

Something not too distant from where she stood squawked greedily and her head whipped towards the source of the sound, her knuckles whitening as she held on tighter to the kunai. A pitiful group of bizarre creatures she had no way of describing their anatomy hobbled towards her, their maws wrenched open and their wart-covered tongues lapping out like serpents on fire. It was a number that did not threaten her and she lashed out, the blade slicing them apart. One's throat had been slit from one ear to the other and blood spewed out from the clean cut, its body quivering in frenzy as the head dangled by a few tendons from the host.

A grim idea presented itself to the Empress as she easily cut down the remaining attackers, watching their blood gush out into the air and their bodies falling to the ground, their stubby feet still kicking out as their souls painfully departed from the mortal coil. She knew it was a terrible thing; savage and beastly. Grasping on to the last one with her bare hands, she pulled its head back as it screeched in pain, the muscles in his throat and its flesh slowly tearing apart, unable to withstand the force of the tension. But if this was what survival required of her, then what choice did she have?

In her past, she had made do with animals in the more demanding missions the Kahn assigned to her. What difference lay between them and these creatures right here? The thing squirmed wildly as the throat opened and squirted out blood. She lifted the thing just barely so that she was under its thrashing body, pulling down the cloth from her lower face. She was hesitant, not because how disgusting the act itself was, but how disgusting the taste would be. The irony of her own worries amused her in some twisted way, her lips prying open to let the thick, warm substance to pour into her mouth and her forked tongue splaying apart.

Forcing down mouthfuls of the foul tasting blood, she tossed the thing away, gagging and pressing the back of her hand against her mouth to keep herself from vomiting and losing the precious, life-sustaining fluid. She retched and shuddered before regaining calm and wiped off the crimson from her mouth only to serve little purpose as some of it still remained smeared across her face. Her clothes were now colored a darker red and drenched her entire torso. Bending down, she held on to the corpse of that distorted creature, thrusting the kunai into the side of its skull and cutting along.

Their skin was festering and mired in infested lumps and warts that constantly oozed of puss. To put her mouth against such infected skin would result in serious problems for later which was why she now separated the dome of the skull from the host and proceeded to scalp it. Removing unwanted strings of flesh and tendons, she rubbed away at the "bowl", cleaning it of the blood, however tackily done. Slipping it behind her under-robes and against her soaking skin, she made her way towards destinations she did not care to know.

She would walk as long as she was alive, as long as she had not found redemption.

* * *

"The only reason we are able to pass through the gateways is because the Empress had gained the consent of Lord Taven," Goong explained, pouring the two a foreign brew which Sub Zero kindly rejected. His companion though took the offering without a single word; he preferred to remain silent most of the time.

They had been summoned into the conference halls where the Ice Master was sure they planned their battles and discussed tactics when based at Lei Chen. The tarp-sized maps, decorated with colorful inks from past developments, covered the stone walls on all sides. Pedestals still cluttered with scales and other tools occupied nearly every bit of space close to the walls, a massive chandelier lit with perhaps thousands of candles provided the light without fear of setting fire to their precious maps. In the centre of the chamber was a table that would accommodate around seven to ten people, inclusive of which was a slightly differently fashioned seat for the Empress. With her gone, her General took the chair, with only Kenshi and the Lin Kuei himself giving him company.

"A small blessed ring she keeps on her person that allowed her and anyone else she chose access to the Nexus portals," he elaborated. "That key is now lost to Hell and we are trapped here unless we are able to gain the sanction of the gods of Qian Taitung. Highly unlikely since a move like that would certainly provoke them into smearing us."

"We have the consent of Lord Fujin," Kenshi added to the conversation, reaching behind his head to pull at the tails of his blindfold, tightening it. Though he had accepted the drink from Goong, the cup still stood on the table, untouched. "But I'm afraid he will not allow an entire army to stumble into his domain."

"Oh, I am well aware of your skeptical Earthworld gods," the Edenian scoffed, either already drunk or simply arrogant, the two warriors were not to judge.

His opinion on the deities was nothing of value except only the information he could provide relative to their vague mission alone. It was a rather bitter truth that they had lost their leads on the identities of the six Kamidogu and the only enemy they had managed to capture for interrogation did not seem likely to withhold any information, much less be willing to cooperate. But Xin So Goong seemed like the only hope they had left – he appeared to be a man knowledgeable of Kitana's schemes and intentions. A night ago he had said Baraka sought her for her knowledge. Perhaps he had a share in this knowledge.

"Our High Holy Empress has departed when her people need her the most," sighed Goong, stirring his drink as he shook the glass in circles, putting it to his lips to take a fine sip. Sub Zero did not say it out loud, but he did feel there was something artificial about the man's subtle grieving. "Tell me, would you rejoice if she somehow escapes Punishment and returns to her wayward kin?"

It was hard to answer the question, not because the Lin Kuei could not deny it in front of the man who was now more or less responsible for their fates, but because he truly did not have a definitive reply. It was true that he severely disliked the woman to the point that he had wished her dead, but too late did he realize that she was an essential commodity for the purpose of finding the Kamidogu. In his mind, these were perhaps the only real reasons why he was undecided, but even he could not fool himself that there was nothing else tugging at him. He could tell himself that the only reason he was alive was because she had wanted Scorpion dead but the truth went far beyond that.

It had taken him time, but now he realized it that she meant to use herself as a lure for the Shirai Ryu only she could see was parading as an ally of the Forces of Light. He recalled when she had summoned them first to announce their advance despite the storm back then. All she had was a map spread across her table and a single candle performing the task of providing her with reading light. Sub Zero knew it was too little to read in, much less plan an entire movement on a sparse little piece of map. The woman had kept her eyes on him the entire time, even once asking him to stop wondering off and give due focus to what she said. It was a subdued directive for him to understand that the entire advance was all a ruse, a free-hit for the Ninja while ensuring there was enough man power ready to encounter anything hostile while they followed after her.

Kitana drew the Shirai Ryu away from him when he was downed and suffering from his sickness. She kept him out of harm's way, coaxing Scorpion into the distance before he exacted his twisted vendetta upon the Lin Kuei. What kind of mercy was this, anyway? Did she solely want him to live so that he would continue this godforsaken mission? Did she want him to succeed for the betterment of all living things or to forward her own agenda? Sub Zero had no way of thinking her as a supporter of good or an ally of bad. No matter what her intensions had been, she died while he lived. She died while it was his mission to carry out – there were only shades of grey. Nothing simply amounted to 'Yes' or 'No'.

"I would be relieved," he replied. He wanted to say exactly why he chose those words and what they meant to him but kept his lips pursed.

"So I understand it in our mutual interests that all would be well if the Empress were alive," the sly Edenian kept circling his point in a manner of making it appear vague but the words sunk in sharply in the minds of his guests. If there was one judgment they would have to make of Edenians in general, both the Ice Warrior and Kenshi would agree that they were a clever race. If they wanted to, they could convince a man to happily let them sleep with his wife while he would spend the night on the porch. Goong was no exception; he effortlessly exploited their need for the Empress's knowledge regarding the Kamidogu.

Either this man had every detail on Kitana's intentions with the Forces of Light or the emotions most likely to be flickering in the Lin Kuei's cool, pale eyes easily turned him into an open book. Nonetheless, Goong had them by the balls and should they refuse the directive, they could find themselves in the hostile open, running towards the flimsy OIA headquarters with their tails between their legs.

"We require provisions and a set date for when preparations are complete," the Grandmaster presented his terms, lifting himself from his seat in a gesture that he did not need any negotiations at least in this matter. "Only a select few and I will undertake the journey."

"I disagree," Kenshi cut in, his fingers intertwining into themselves as he placed his elbows on the table-top in a strange mimicry of the deceased Empress. The Lin Kuei was slightly taken aback by the Swordsman's interference when he clearly wished for no compromise. The younger man should have known that there was no argument involved when Sub Zero had already given his answer. He opened up his mouth to rebuke his comrade when he cut him in again. "Due to his ill health, Sub Zero will not participate in this task."

The Ice Master was at a loss for words, appalled at the blind man's outrageous insinuations.

"Whatever suits you," Goong commented with a sigh, getting up from his chair and pacing towards the entrance, his arms behind his back in his customary fashion.

"Just be sure you come to a reasonable conclusion by evening," he last said before exiting the chamber, leaving the two alone under the bedazzling light of the chandelier.

For a moment that seemed like eternity, there was silence in the room before Kenshi's fingers circled the glass that previously remained untouched the entire duration of the conversation and took a sip of the now lukewarm drink.

Sub Zero intended to remind him of his position compared to him. It was not a formal rank, but he had been claimed their leader and so the authority of making all decisions rested in his head. It was a mutually respected notion, but it seemed as if Kenshi did not understand that. But what most infuriated the Lin Kuei was that the younger man openly declared his illness to the Edenian General, a move that would literally cost them their practicality and usefulness to the Edenians. Strangely enough, he was also fearful that Kenshi was aware of his ailment, fearful that it had become so evident that others had begun seeing it or already knew of it.

"You are in no position to-" he was cut off yet again, Kenshi instead completing the sentence in a way only he thought fit.

"To run through hell and back when you clearly have no chance of coming out alive at all…" he sighed, placing the brew back on the table and pushing it away from him as far as his arm would reach. "It's suicide."

"It's duty," he argued back, hissing through clenched teeth so that a wisp of chilled air blew from the air-holes in his mask and stretched as long as a meter.

"No it's not," the blind man retorted, his voice growing slightly irritable just as it did when he greeted him that morning, but Sub Zero could tell he tried hard to keep himself from bursting out. At least, he was better at keeping his temper in check than the Korii Warrior; anger was a tool of Fire and he was the opposite of that. Still he did not understand why he became angry at all while he remembered his older sibling, despite remaining as an acquaintance, never even came close to being annoyed by anything. "You accept this as your duty, when it's not and you deny that you are sick, when you are."

The Swordsman sighed, lowering his head so that his chin barely touched his collar, his fingers unwinding and letting his free hands to lay flat on the table.

"I want only a few minutes from you," he spoke in a tired voice, his head now lulling back as if in regret from what was to happen next. The chair in which Sub Zero previously sat in pulled out and away from the table, dragged along by Kenshi's talent to where he stood. Sitting down would mean he accepted the blind man's proposal and so the older man lowered himself into it, his cold eyes gazing at the blindfold where the eyes were hidden.

"Nightwolf and I are the only ones who are sure of what is happening to you," he began, turning his chair around the same way he moved Sub Zero's seat so that he faced him. "The only matter was whether we should tell you or not."

The Lin Kuei folded his arms, listening intently and trying to even his breaths in a bid to calm himself, but his mind was already churning into frenzy, afraid and worried of this revelation.

"We thought that if we let you know, you might spend the rest of your life worrying and anticipating. But I felt there was also a chance that if you were made aware of it, you might chose to live well until the end. And then… it would be an injustice to you if we kept it all a secret…"

The Grandmaster inhaled profoundly, his breath trembling.

"Sub Zero… your mind is falling apart…"

* * *

**A/N:** I was going to add another snippet of Kitana's misadventures, but I thought this chapter was already too long as it is. Oh well, at least you get some semblance of an explanation for Sub Zero's condition. Have fun kids.

Lots of thanks to **en-lumine**, **ArrogantDeity**, **Thief of Light** and **edinarain** for reviewing and appreciating this story. Also, thanks to **Savior** for the heads up. No BGM in this chapter because I couldn't think of one that would fit. Listen to **Iron by Woodkid** to get an idea on how I want Kitana's journeys to progress.

Also, if you don't have anything better to do and want to kill time, how about you head over to my profile page for something stupid enough to keep you busy for the week?

Also! Also! I need a beta-reader for this crap... anyone?


	16. Lifting Veils

A/N: NEED BETA-READER PLEASE BETA-READ FOR ME I'LL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides any and all characters, places and events I choose to add on my whim.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Lifting Veils

He was not too surprised hearing this. It was one amongst the many conclusions he had gone through in his head, within the deepest recesses where he always feared going back to. He hoped that it could have been a less harrowing fate but he did nurse his doubts. He always held on to the thought that perhaps he really was becoming insane. After all, through all that he had bore, there were few chances there could have been an alternate. His artificial ageing, his weakening organs, the inability to think logically rather than emotionally; these were all signs that his body was giving off its final lingering energies before they would be snuffed out.

It was painful to hear this. He wanted to cry but for some reason the tears would not flow this time. His mask hid the despairing expression and yet he was sure that Kenshi could sense the wallowing sadness. If the Swordsman still had his sight, he would have seen the way the Lin Kuei's eyes crinkled miserably where tears were absent. This had to happen. His family and the friends that once in his lifetime had surrounded him had all suffered terrible ends, so why should he be an exception? It was only natural, it was nothing but the will of the Gods.

"Am I going to die?" he asked, feeling extremely foolish once the final words escaped his mouth. The answer was evident to him as well as to the Blind man.

"Everyone dies," Kenshi replied, his voice lowered in solemn respect of the older man's sorrow. There was to be no consolation. Sub Zero, though, could tell the other one was trying his best to make it sound as light as possible, but when the moments leading up to the end are indeed horrific, how could anyone possibly provide any comforting words? What was to happen will happen, so then why make it more painful than it already was by creating the illusion of it being a good death? The Swordsman had taken the deliberate step of making him aware of what was eating away at him and so had to be the one to cause him the greatest pains he would ever know of.

The expression on the younger man's face clearly told Sub Zero that he was already regretting his decision. Sweat trickled down the blind one's brow and stained the fabric that shielded his eyes, finding it both a physical and mental strain to continue with the revelation. The Grandmaster only silently looked on, his face twisted in distressed agony, patiently waiting for the bitter words. Kenshi took a laboriously long time before he gulped down the invisible ball that choked him.

"It would be painless…" came the long awaited explanation, but somehow his words did not seem to make it any lighter for the Chinese warrior. There were worse things that were to be revealed, none of which he would be ready for, but expected nonetheless. "You will forget… what pain is…"

"What happens?" Sub Zero demanded, inadvertently making it sound more like a statement rather than a query. He did not wish that Kenshi twist the words and create an idea that there could be any good to his fate. What the Korii Warrior expected of him, he was doing just that. He wanted no veils between them, no intricate statements that decorated the true sinister nature of what was to occur, just the simple truth. No matter how painful.

"Ask me how…" Kenshi prompted, unable to gather the courage required to unwind the true gist of the story to the much experienced fighter, hoping for an easier start. The Lin Kuei almost wanted to deny the suggestion but thought differently. If this was a way for the other to dispel information without tangling the words, then let it be. He nodded, sure that Kenshi would have sensed that. "How old are you?"

He sighed, frustrated that indeed Kenshi was dilly-dallying but forced himself to calm down and submit to the Swordsman's unorthodox methods. He shook his head, stating that he did not know.

"Would you say you're older than anyone else on the team, besides me?"

An awful sensation pricked his heart. Sub Zero felt some kind of direction within the conversation and he was sure it caused the same feeling as it would if he told the older warrior then and there what was happening. He inhaled profoundly, his chest broadening to let in as much air as he possibly could into his lungs before shaking his head in disapproval. At the answer, Kenshi's expression was an unnerving one. There was no denying that there was no good in what he had just learned.

"I can't see, Sub Zero, but even I can tell that this body is not what you belong in," he said, his tone slightly berating yet concerned and all the Lin Kuei could do was shift his gaze to the floor in humiliation. Some time ago, when he had first removed his mask in the company of the Forces of Light, he had only done so because he took advantage of Kenshi's sightlessness in that no one would know he had grown so old. The only eyes he had thought had seen him belonged to the now dead Specter, but he undermined the prowess of the Swordsman. He knew. He probably knew right from the beginning. "I sense ice where your arms and hands should be – I'm surprised how you have even managed to survive this long."

"The Medallion," he said and right at cue, the Ice Master felt the artifact shift within the pocket sewn under the fabric, slipping out from the mantle and floating into the air, right before his eyes. Kenshi let it hover inches away from his face as if he wanted the older male to take a good long look at it. There was no qualm about what the Swordsman was implying – he knew more about this than anyone else and yet remained quiet of it, successfully deceiving Sub Zero that he had not the slightest clue. He took note of the engravings he had many times observed with great intent, the fire-breathing beast weaving into itself, its large wings sheltering its head and snake-like body. It was the same as he had always seen it. He reached out to swipe it from the air but it glided away before his fingers came into contact, landing directly in the open palm of the Swordsman. "It has its own aura. It's what enhances your god-given abilities, am I correct?"

His hand still in the air and his eyes locked upon the blind one, Sub Zero answered with a vocal "Yes". He was not too comfortable with the powerful object in another's grasp. Not with the idea that he was deprived of his own source of strength but that Kenshi would keep it on his person long enough for it to overwhelm him. Terrible things happened to another a long time ago. So young… she had every chance of atoning for every wrong done. Yet, the Medallion did the worst to her, first stripped her of her freedom and when it let her walk amongst the living, robbed her of her sanity.

The younger warrior placed it upon the table, not intending to return it just yet. Sub Zero breathed a sigh of relief having seen the relic no longer in the other's possession.

"Doesn't seem like it was without its price," the Sword Saint added. "You knew, didn't you? Why did you continue using it when you knew it would do this to you?"

There was abrupt silence, the air within the enormous map room cradling the sounds of only their breaths and the ruffle of Kenshi's clothes as he leaned forward in his seat, his arms resting on his lap and his fingers clasping in anticipation. The remorse had temporarily disappeared from the younger one's face, strangely allowing for a little comfort. If his expression would have continued to flash that broken frown his way, Sub Zero would have preferred never to give an answer. His chest expanded once again with a large intake of air, needed to muster the daring to respond.

"I'm young," he replied, ice trickling up his fingers and coating them in frost, a natural reaction to fear. "I was younger still when I thought that growing old would have its benefits. I thought I would grow wiser…"

He expelled the air he had gathered in his lungs as a frosted, defeated sigh.

"I did not know it was the years you live that give you wisdom, not the years you gain," he said, a smile for unknown reasons forming on his lips. The stillness reigned once again, both men contemplating upon Sub Zero's words for what seemed like an eternity before Kenshi sought to resume conversation. The medallion gently picked itself up from the face of the table and made way towards the Korii Warrior, dropping unceremoniously into his lap.

"Your mind cannot cope with it," he stated so suddenly that it almost startled the Grandmaster. His eyes snapped back up from the relic and locked on to the despondent face of the Saint, mentally asking of him to repeat what he had said. When no response came after a sustained pause, Sub Zero questioned him what he meant. The other one paused a moment to let the suffocating air loosen its hold upon them.

"The Medallion is forcing your body through abrupt changes," he pointed out, lowering his head a little in mental exhaustion. "Its disrupting your _chi_ as well as causing severe strain on your mental functions… Your conscience itself is young, yet decaying physically like the rest of you."

"Dementia," he offered a single, nondescript word for the entire situation and it struck a chord within Sub Zero. He felt as if his heart stopped beating for the most minute, fleeting lapses, a sharp pain igniting in his chest and then disappearing just as suddenly it had came. "Your mind… it's slowly shutting down, breaking apart one piece after another. The irregular blackouts, loss of memory; they will get stronger until you reach the height of it."

He could not believe how obvious it had been. Everything… the symptoms if that was what he could call them, everything that was happening to them had been clear to the rest, to Kenshi of all people. And if it had not been as apparent as he feared it to be, how could he have known? Did he waver and falter in front of the Swordsman but the insanity wiped away all memory of collapsing? He recounted all those terrible seconds spent in that dark void from which he could watch the world pass by, like he was trapped behind a mirror that no matter how hard he would cry out for someone, they would not hear him. How many times exactly had the mirror cornered him?

"And then I die," the Lin Kuei concluded, terrified at himself for how he continued to listen to everything and still expected more, continuing to indulge in all those morose thoughts that would have had a lesser man shivering. Kenshi shook his head.

"Everyone dies," he repeated in a softer tone, leaning back in his seat to straighten his back. "If you stay away from the battlefield, then you'll only die of the old age the amulet brings you."

"Then what…?"

Another long pause.

"You will forget the pain…" he answered. "You will forget everything. You will forget what language is, you will forget what being human is… you will be a corpse long before you are dead…"

_Yasei_…

Her mocking tone echoed in his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out that painful voice.

"I'm sorry…"

"Why would you be sorry?" the Grandmaster demanded, his eyes flying wide open and his icy fingers balling up into fists. He wanted to feel angry. He wanted to stay angry, he felt it his right. "It was my decision, why the hell would you feel sorry?"

The Saint was quiet, unable to utter a single word. Perhaps he wanted the Lin Kuei to vent out his anger just as he wished, or perhaps he really was without anything of value to say. They passed away a long time in the silence, the Lin Kuei rising from his chair while the other remained where he was, his head turning away in dejection. Enough time lapsed to allow the rage to dissipate, leaving Sub Zero feeling rather empty and exhausted. His eyes felt heavy when he shifted his gaze towards Kenshi's face, feeling guilty of making him the victim of his anger.

"Just one more question," Sub Zero sighed, choosing not to return to his seat. He wished to leave the sooner he would receive his answer. "How did you know?"

The Swordsman looked visibly startled by the demand.

* * *

She made headway for the rocks shaped in the image of a hellish skull, the cranium tilted into the earth as if winds had eroded away the sands that buried a once great monster. The scene itself may have been foreboding and warned the denizens of this forsaken land from venturing near it, but her instincts told her otherwise. This was perhaps the single most promiscuous land formation she had managed to spot amidst all the desolation and although it could have been Death's own abode, it may have also been one way out of this wretched realm. She could travel for days on end, without water or nourishment besides the putrid blood of her prey through the same, malformed terrain – there was a reason why the skull-shaped earth lay in the middle of the wastelands.

When standing atop the peaks, she had received a bird's eye view of land that stretched as far as she could make out the horizon, but in reality she knew this was only a small insignificant patch of earth within the Nether. But to think, the moment she made way out of the cold abyss to greet the new burning terrain, the skull standing out in the fires that ravaged the world would certainly herald some importance. Whether it housed dangers or hazardous paths she could well wind up dead in if she attempted to travel through them, the appearance astounded her and drew her towards the skull rock.

Long, excruciating hours had flitted by yet the world never went dull. What it lacked in light from a sun hanging in the crimson sky, the eternal infernos and blaze kept the Nether alight and burning. Drenched in sweat and curdled blood, she slowly stumbled towards the formation, stopping to catch her breath too many times midway into trek that she lost count. Thirst quickly resurfaced but she mentally barked at herself that she would not let any of that disgusting fluid enter her mouth unless it was a necessity. She was conscious and still able to walk; there was no need to divert from her path to hunt just yet.

She had thought that the landform was relatively tiny from where she once stood, but now coming upon the 'teeth' that towered above her head and gazing into the enormous gorge that lay beyond them, she realized how poorly she had underestimated the size. She entered the gaping mouth, rustling a few winged beasts from their sleep and sending them gliding into the air, twisting in flight along the length of the gigantic teeth to perch upon the jagged apex. The 'throat' of the monster was a canyon which drew in several dead rivers that were once overflowing with lava, now merely black scars disfiguring the already misshapen earth, snaking along the gradual slope and forming tributaries that fanned out across the pit's spacious bottom.

She noticed the relative cool within creature's 'belly' that could have been the sole reason for the rivers turning into solid black rock, yet as surrounded by fires that burned in the world outside of the 'mouth' the canyon was just as hot as an unforgiving desert. Running her gaze over the massive roof of the crevice and then back down into the pitfall that awaited at her feet, she made a quick conclusion that there was an exit to this gorge somewhere beyond the braided streams below and she had her reasons for it. She was not suffocating. In closed space, the heat and lack of air would have given her a slow and painful death, however as she stood for long moments, contemplating upon her plans to escape the Nether, she realized the task of breathing was not a greater burden on her lungs than it already was in the scorching heat back from where she initially came from.

She trudged along the edge of the massive well, inspecting for a suitably jagged segment of scarp from which she could easily find purchase and descend down without the use of wearing out the prize she claimed from her battle with the bronze ghost. Yet another attempt at scaling large landforms and Kitana already realized that she should have taken precaution and killed another of those revolting abominations of rotting human carcass, for she knew her energies would be spent by the time she would arrive at bottom. Cautiously reaching down to a small platform protruding from the cliff, the Empress wondered whether it would require the use of the last of ounce of her sorcery that just barely flickered within her essence. Steadying her breath to an even rhythm, she scolded herself yet again for she knew there were physical ways of retaining stamina during such strenuous tasks.

Attempting little movement except for her limbs, shoulders and waist and controlling her bated breaths to follow a strict pattern, she would only manage to save a meager amount of her strength for when she would finally reach the flat bottom of the veined gorge. Her legs buckled underneath her weight and she fell against the black wall, the air painfully raking the thin film of flesh within her throat and her lungs desperate for air, forcing a violent fit of coughs and gags to break through. Pressing her bandaged palm against her ribs, she attempted at massaging herself to calm the vicious reaction of her failing organs which only brought result after painfully long moments of guzzling air and coughing it back out.

Her eyes fluttered tiredly and her chest, stomach and back ached from the reaction; two different voices in her head locked in argument whether she should continue now or rest. Part of her just wanted to drift away into sleep, however uneasy, no matter any nightmares, no matter the creatures that possibly lurked about who would find her easy prey, and part of her berated her for stopping just as salvation seemed evidently close. Like always, the demands of her pride would outweigh the protests of her body and she found herself on her feet again, her breath whistling between clenched teeth as the feud within her mind was quickly replaced by instinctual presumptions.

The flat base of the gorge was massive and surrounded by tall, rocky walls that only led back into the mouth of the creature. At one side, the massive fetch of flat, blackened earth drew in the walls of the canyon to form a narrow funnel that snaked away into pure darkness. When the rivers still carried the scorching lifeline of the earth's makeup, they had carved a painfully narrow valley into softer rock that perhaps opened up into flatter lands from which heated winds ventilated the creature's skeleton. But the profound darkness that blanketed the mere crack in the gorge's walls would hide plenty more of unknown creatures - monsters thriving in the blackness that would hungrily snap open their jaws when she would run blind into their abode.

She convinced herself there was little choice. It would kill her to climb back up for when all her bodily functions and vital organs would collapse from the unbearable exhaustion and if she would survive, what chance would she have in the outside world half dead? The woman's fingers held tighter to the hilt of the spear as she took the first wavering steps into the shroud of black, feeling the walls slowly clench and press against her small frame the farther she walked into the crevice, her skeletal, blood-caked fingers finding her a path.

The corridor choked her the longer she kept squeezing herself in between the walls, turning sideways to accommodate enough room to walk through, but even then she felt the fissure growing tighter and tighter. The slope fluctuated and she found herself to be clambering up or sliding down the trail. It was impossible for her to lose her footing for the constricting scarp compressed upon her such that it was already difficult for her to move freely. But worse of all, the murderous heat, the little space and the dreary silence that accompanied pitch darkness began to chip away her composure. The Empress thought less of any dangerous entity dwelling within the crevice and more of stumbling into a dead end.

Several hours ago she herself had deduced an opening lying beyond the massive tunnel that would be the only reason to account for the ventilation within the beast's bowels, but here, sanctity and sanity of mind were quickly melting away, replaced by uninhibited paranoia. Her chest heaved at an unnatural pace; breaths transitioning into frightened gasps, hers fingers awkwardly grazing the stone. The passage had become tighter and several times she had been stuck between rock from which she escaped by wriggling out, travelling into profound darkness and silence only interrupted by her startled yelps and the small stones she displaced.

She recklessly hurried along, her body pleading for rest and panic overtaking her mind, sharp stones scratching her already ravaged skin. Nothing moved, nothing spoke and she realized she was already wishing for something – anything – to cross ways with her, even if it intended upon devouring her. She snarled, spitting out every curse she knew in every language she could speak; an involuntary way of venting out her fright as anger. But for how long could she manage? Her body still shook, her lungs sucked in air in an abnormal fashion, how long would it be when the sanctuary of her mind would give in to seizing fear?

She suddenly stumbled into what she felt to be open ground, the suffocating walls no longer surrounding her when she regained balance and felt for them. Feeling some sense of composure returning to her alarmed senses, she lightly treaded forward, her feet testing the ground, expecting the walkway to abruptly end and tip into a bottomless pit shrouded by the darkness. The earth never ended when she nervously stepped further out into the open ground, her vision only slightly improving owing to the miserable luminance. For a moment she thought safe to let herself calm. She exhaled in relief but instantly let doubt overcome her reasoning. She should not stop. She should not rest. Who knows what lay in wait for her in the Bowels?

She lifted her head and chanced upon the small shimmering object in the sky that was presumably the source of the little light within the great depths. It allowed enough glow for her to see it was just not floating about in the air, but was perched atop a graying pyramid. Four massive columns that seemed to consist of the same stone used in the pyramid's work stood by at each corner, their length exceeding the height of the massive tomb's apex by perhaps a kilometer. Kitana did not know what to think of it. The structure was brooding with sinister atmosphere, foreboding, unwise for any sane man to venture near its perimeters. Yet something nagged at her, intuition urging her to approach it.

Why did this forlorn construction even exist in such intolerable depths? The Empress stalked the dry earth, blue eyes transfixed upon the hulking mound of stone and wondering what sort of entity it housed. It was home to something – something vile. She knew it would be her undoing as curiosity drew her legs without her command closer to the pyramid.

What is the matter with her? She snapped her head, shaking away this absurd new interest in the brooding structure and removing any thoughts with her greatest priority for the moment: getting out. Her soft steps haltered and she turned away from the jewel that glittered in the sky, scouring the expanse for the exit she long hoped to stumble across. There was nothing she could see from where she stood. Perhaps the pyramid obstructed her path of sight. The woman backtracked, managing a safe distance and quietly treading along in the dim light; watchful of anything that may surprise her while she made it to the other side of the pyramid.

She froze still, foot dangling an inch away from the rocky surface when she heard the small crackle. Without even thinking it, her hand snapped out the kunai and held it defensively near her breast and her eyes darted about, expecting to see some sort of flesh-and-blood thing to be looming right behind her. She substituted where her sight failed with hearing but only found the sounds of her own bated breaths to fall upon her ears.

As she insisted upon the quick scout, Kitana's gaze passed over the pyramid once again, her eyes travelling up to the jewel perched upon the apex. Thin streaks of lightning that barely emitted any sound sourced from the bright gem and reached out towards each of the four towers, not adding to the poor luminance. She remained fixed upon the portentous occurrence, realizing it was either a warning or a signaling for some dark force.

She could not turn away.

Her jaw tightened in dreaded realization that she could not steal away from the dazzling little jewel. It had her trapped in some unknown trance, stripping her mind the control it had over her body and leaving it petrified. The strings of electricity grew thicker and snapped lowly within the massive gorge that was the Beast's Belly. She internally screamed for her limbs to move, finding that her immobile state had rendered her tongue frozen as well. Bare moans, remnants of her furious shrieks, only floated from the small crack of her mouth.

"Flesh… alive…" a low, decaying voice called out, the words as if whispered into her ears. Kitana's lungs pumped air crazily, blood rushing through her streams carrying enough adrenaline for her legs to haul her several miles away in a single sprint. Her body heating from within, she could do nothing as her fright responses flew into a rage and her mortal shell remained rooted to the spot. The lightning flickered and yet she felt the darkness growing around her, as if a shadow was consuming her.

From the steady blackness, she saw a figure manifest itself from the silhouette that stood right in front of her, a human-like frame appearing barely an arm's length away from where she had been frozen. Since the very moment the inner works of her body went about preparing her to fight or take flight, the only movement she was capable of was to lower her head against her will to level herself with what seemed to be the eyes of the demonic entity.

He crouched like an old man nearing the end of his days, garbed within a tattered red cloak that hid his supposedly weak build. Four decayed and graying fingers, infested with maggots that writhed about their length from the gaping holes within the traces of flesh, protruded from the protection of the red shroud and clutched tightly to the fabric. That same hand unclasped the cloth and reached out into the air, the oozing palm grazing her left cheek. If she were capable of moving freely, the first thing she would have done out of bodily response was to cleave the demon's head off his drooping shoulders.

The thing lifted his head and she was forced to stare directly into the bulbous, red orbs that were set within the sockets of his skull. The face was wrangled beyond all recognition, giving him less the appearance of an aging human and more of the mutilated corpse of an animal. She wanted desperately to remove her gaze from the horrendous creature before her but all she could do was whine in despair when the other hand, wrapped in once white bandages, drifted from within the cloak and held her face within them.

"So long… I have waited… for flesh so alive…" his voice scrapped her ears and she grimaced. His grip became stronger as he pulled her slightly closer, angling her head so she could look up at the horrific face as he towered above her, his salivating maw creaking open. She was close enough to see her own mortified face within the blood-red pools that had her locked within the unbreakable trance, his drool streaming down his chin and dripping onto her chest. She could not believe how foolish she was to venture near the brooding pyramid when the warnings were all too clear. But what reason in chiding her curiosity now? "So long… I have waited… for flesh so new…"

The scream only came as a whimper.

"My vessel… Lift me… from this curse…"

* * *

The Swordsman's face told of dejection and guilt, the same expression he had maintained almost perfectly during the entire lapse of their conversation. But this time, there was something else hidden beneath the morbid features, something that appeared so palpable and yet was beyond the Lin Kuei's comprehension. It was as if the grim frown was not meant for him, but for Kenshi himself. Within the moment, realization struck him: another secret.

"Please…" he tried to say but the statement came out as a bare whisper, his chest feeling both heavy and void at the same time. His eyes drew to a soft close, his lips turning into that pained scowl once again. He was terribly exhausted. The revelation itself was a huge burden upon the sanctum of his already failing mind, but to be kept secrets from was a direct assault upon his trust. What need there be to keep mum about things around him? He had no guarantee of remembering all of them even if they told him. "No more hiding…"

"I…" Kenshi tried, shaking his head slightly that pulled the light tail-ends of the blindfold to drift in the air and gently dangle over his shoulder. The air was stale yet felt heavy only due to the tensions from the two individuals. It made it harder for him to breathe. "I… My abilities… They've somewhat… evolved over these past couple of years…"

No. Not another secret, another revelation perhaps just as crushing as the last.

"I can… I can see…" he had barely said and Sub Zero froze in horror. He internally begged of him, prayed silently to the gods that he dare not say what the Lin Kuei feared was the inevitable. "I can read minds…"

It felt as if his soul had crumbled into dust. The worry, the anticipation, the terror… everything disappeared, leaving him in a strange form of oblivion where he could not feel any remorse even for himself. Kenshi had seen everything, heard everything, shared in the darkest of his secrets that Sub Zero vowed he would take to his grave. He placed his hands over his eyes, blocking out the brilliant light of the massive chandelier, hoping somehow that if he shut the world out of his senses, he would find himself behind that mirror once again. Right now, the deafening blackness seemed the only place where he would find solitude, where his secrets would be kept out of the reach of the world.

He expelled a broken sigh; the darkness decided not to claim him. What a strange and cruel insanity he had to suffer that when he welcomed it, the shadows would scuttle back into their hidden corners, preferring only to greet him when he would mistakenly assume the suffering of this world as a blessing. His hands fell to his sides, limp. He registered a lost gaze at his comrade, thinking of nothing.

"I tried hard to keep away but I could tell you were suffering…" the blind man professed, realizing the disgust Sub Zero harbored for him. "I kept thinking of it and that linked me to your consciousness. So many times I tried to severe the connection but the more I worried about your condition, the more I could see. It was out of my accord, I… I never chose to do this…"

"I think of you as a friend," he continued, his tone dropping into a near murmur. "That was the only thing keeping the connection intact as much as I tried to break away from it. It wasn't long before it escalated beyond my control and… your thoughts… began invading mine… At times, it was impossible to block them out. The more you preferred to wander away in your own thought, the stronger they were. Some of them… some of those thoughts were so empty. So… cold…"

He lifted his head, turning his face towards the Lin Kuei.

"They were hurting me…" he sighed, the Ice Warrior never removing himself from his statuesque pose.

It was never Scorpion.

It was never the Tarkatan horde.

It was _never_ Kitana…

It had always been Sub Zero.

"Forgive me…" Kenshi whispered, also tired of the secrets he had to disclose. The silence never seemed more forgiving than it did now, allowing the men to feel some sort of comfort since the morning when they first greeted each other. The Grandmaster broke from his stance and covered the sparse distance between him and the Swordsman. He placed a hand upon the Saint's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Even Sub Zero did not understand what the gesture meant but all the same it aided in putting the doubts to rest, whatever those doubts had been.

"It does not matter," he offered, small yet powerful words for consolation. A long pause followed after which the Swordsman lifted from his chair to stand at the older man's side. The former nodded silently before they quietly made their way out of the chamber.

He was right.

Nothing mattered.

* * *

The shadows grew insufferably darker, consuming her within the shroud, the beast gripping her face to strip her of her soul. She could not even blink her eyes as she was forced to gaze into the red orbs, ensnaring her in the trance and providing a lasting image of her horrified face before she would meet her end, the reflection so clear that she could even make out the nightmarish features of the monster within her own eyes.

He suddenly recoiled, a pained and frightened gasp escaping him, his gnarled fingers unlatching from her jaw to allow him to distance himself from whatever frightened him. A curdled howl erupted from the creature as he stumbled further back, flailing his arms as if fighting some invisible force and scratching his ruby eyes with his elongated nails. Something had him scared beyond his senses and had him writhing in pain. She could not care any less for the cause of the monster's shock. The distance between them grew and his madness slowly lifted his control from her body. She found possession of her own limbs, whipping around to flee from the thing.

Pain still seizing his body, he reached out for her, calling out to his "vessel" in great disdain as she sped gracefully towards the other end of the gorge, both adrenaline and the power she had culminated in all the centuries she had lived through fueling her blindingly fast race. The lightning crackled loudly above her head, the monster's cries so painful to hear that she was sure the voice was scratching away at her inner ears. Kicking earth into the stale air, she inwardly cursed the entity as his now powerful voice thundered within the expanse, a sinister chant that caused the ground to tremble slightly under her nimble feet.

The strong flicker of lightning illuminated the area a brighter shade, allowing her a glimpse of the dark entryway carved into the massive stone walls lying far ahead of her. The air grew dense as the creature's powers finally began overwhelming the atmosphere, his disturbing cackle cutting through the emptiness and sending a shiver up her spine. A barrage of soft pink lightning fell about her, tearing at the hard earth and sending the rubble flying into the air. She was faster than the attacks, skillfully dodging the assault as she neared the exit that only mere seconds ago seemed far out of reach.

Not just yet. She knew that once she would reach the exit, she would be well out of harm's way. Unless the creature would have the strength to follow her into the shadowy tunnel, he would have escaped this miserable pit long ago; the moment she would be upon the tight fissure within the barren walls, she would be gone. She could not allow herself to escape with the knowledge she had been ducking and cowering in fright from the pursuing entity – her pride would not allow it.

Streams of lightning twisting about in the air in their vain attempts to electrocute her, the clockwork of her mind was set into motion, planning and calculating her final daring before moving into relative safety. The exit approaching her fast, the smile on her lips grew wider till they almost stretched from ear to ear, her hands displacing the two fans she kept bound within her sash. Holding each one in either hand, she listened hard and anticipated for the shift in atmosphere, deliberately making her sprint linear to allow for easy targeting.

She whirled around, her body twisting in the air so that she glided through the air, facing the spear of pink electricity that surged towards her. It struck the tip of her fan, the energy painfully travelling through her veins and exiting from the weapon she held in the other hand. Her heart stopped for a minute second, the agony engulfing her in its wake for the fleeting moment that it lasted, the surge now cutting through the air and heading back to where it had come from. The creature gasped, realizing too late that she had turned his own offense against him.

Folding its arms in front of his face, he screeched out in pain when the electricity grasped him, singeing his already decayed muscles and setting flame to the cloak he now adorned as mock bat-wings. Toppling uncontrollably from the sky, Kitana reveled in the sound of the mass of muscles hitting the hard earth, his howls never ceasing to reverberate within the deathly expanse of the Belly. Skidding along the earth, she came to stop just meters away from the exit, steadying herself on her legs as she flashed the darkness her wicked smile.

"Kitana!" she yelled once the screams of the monster faded away. "Remember that name!"

An arrogant chuckle rolling off her tongue, she turned away to disappear into the shrouded exit, confident that he would never be able to forget.

* * *

A/N: Now featuring a cameo appearance by Mumm-Ra of the ThunderCats! To those who may not understand why he suddenly freaked when he was about to soul-steal her or something, he saw his reflection. Enough said.

I was really confused when I realized my readers thought that the bits about Kitana had been "added" when in fact it had been Sub Zero's parts that I had intentionally "added". At first I thought it was funny but I eventually had to give it some serious thought because it would affect the pacing for this chapter. When I re-read Chapter 14, I realized that although I may have intended otherwise, Sub Zero's storyline was actually the real plot for the time-being while Kitana was the filler. I could guess I made the mistake because in the end, Kitana's role is to have the significant purpose while Sub Zero's bit had been under scrutiny since the very beginning, much more to say in the future.

For this reason, I rearranged the order of the two plots; Sub Zero's being the first to provide more focus. Also, it would have felt rather incomplete if I ended on the note that the two left the building. Even I had the thought "Now what?"

Again, was going to expand on Kitana's snippet but doing that right now would have felt rushed. The time between this and the next update would be enough to create some form of transition between the sub-boss fight and what happens next.

Many thanks to **en-lumine**, **Thief of Light** and **Deity of Insanity** for reviewing. Have a good day, all.


	17. Nightfall

Chapter Sixteen: Nightfall

There is always a plan.

For every wrong turn the journey could take, there is always a plan. Perhaps not as linear as first thought out but even the most severe of deviations would eventually circle around into a way out. There are no impossibilities. It was something that her experience had only taught her long after her _Father_ had first spoken of it. His intention had not been to educate her but to boast of the lessons his own conquests had provided him. They were words not meant to be committed but she had secretly made it her conduct. There is always a plan and she had to be the one to always think it through.

She felt the massive chains that anchored her neck, hands and feet loosen themselves like uncoiling snakes and jingle noisily as they heaped on the ground. The sounds of ringing metal gonged in her ears and her feet burned when they were forced upon the iron floor, her torn boots inadequate in covering the entirety of her soles. One of them drove a fist into her chest when she hissed with the pain, lungs contracting as splintered ribs pierced through. Blood quickly bubbled up her throat and spewed out from between clenched teeth, her already scarce reserves of energy now completely failing her.

Their language was unknown to her, barbaric and senseless. They sounded like they were spitting at each other, sharing their trifle thoughts on what to do with her when they undid the ribbon of flesh they had blindfolded her with. It did little for her to be able to see again. The glowing red-hot metal walls of the passageway peeled at the delicate membrane of her eyes, tearing them till they glowed red like the walls themselves. She pressed them closed, one amongst the hands that led her now grasping at her hair and pulling her along the scorching floor.

Beyond the bar-gates that only momentarily served her protection from her inherent fate came the roar of the sea. The crying pleas of thousands and the simultaneous jeers of hauntingly grotesque creatures gathered at the bounds of the arena came off as the crashing of angry waves against rocks – she would have easily been fooled if she had not reminded herself that she was serving punishment in the Nether. One of them, the captors, treaded towards the gate noisily, the iron shoes adorning his hooves clanging against the metal floor and barked incoherently in his alien language. She lifted her lashes, just enough to catch the yellow gleam of the Oni-like creature's protruding fangs before the one that held her, one she assumed would be no different from the leader, pushed her further against the floor until her nose only hovered bare inches from the heated floor.

A deafening clash of shifting rusted gears that drowned out the screams only fleetingly followed by the small tremors that shook her scarred legs were all a morose prelude to the descent of the gate. They pulled her out just off the ledge from which the pathway ended into a massive drop that would amount to the lengths of a hundred men should they stand upon each other's shoulder. She had no words to describe the horrific sight that lay below. Faces robbed of humanity, devoid of thought and decayed just as the Realm itself writhed about, their strange eyes turned toward the massive ceiling of the arena, maws wide open to release blood-curling wails that joined the roar of the audience in chorus. Their hands, gnarled, graying and likely to oppose traditional human anatomy reached out into the air as if begging for food, but in reality they begged for mercy.

She clenched her teeth; her eyes wide open in apprehension that the sting of heat could do nothing in tearing her gaze away from the nightmarish faces. No human emotion, not even something close to animalistic could be seen on their grayed, petrified faces except perhaps a pain no man alive would have considered imaginable. Saliva as black as her locks trickled from what must have been their mouths with eyes that either were so dark that they seemed hollow or they really were non-existent – it was hard to tell from this height. She had wanted desperately to turn away and run, hack through her captors with her own fingernails if she had to but she would not let herself be cast away within them. But pain, exhaustion, weakness and failing consciousness kept her to the floor, kneeling pathetically to stare down at the faces of the deadmen.

Perhaps the worst thing to come out of the little time she spent gaping at the inhuman picture below was that she had let herself believe she recognized some, if not most, of the twisted faces underneath her. An image danced in front of her eyes before they tossed her, an unpleasant, gruesome picture: the sea of corpses she herself had created in the deep reaches of the Edenian Crater. And down under, her enemies, all either slain by her hands or murdered at her whim stood below as monsters of the Netherrealm – she was now joining them.

The sea of walking corpses drowned her amidst them, pushing her further and further away from the only likely mode of escape if by chance she would be upon the miracle of recovering her dwindled energies or her confiscated weapons. A roar, authoritative and commanding rang above her head and it prompted the creatures at the hems of the structure to applaud louder than they already were, the dead ones she was thrown into dispensing the opposite reaction a greater degree. Pushed further and further back and the half-dead human clambering upon each other in their vain attempts to find escape mitigated her view of the creature that bellowed orders in his alien language – she assumed it was the one that had opened the gate for her.

A deafening metallic crash just as the one she had heard when the bar-gate had fallen for her echoed within the stadium, the opposing screams now almost so unbearably loud that she had to press her hands against her ears. The sea of corpses gathered and huddled away from her towards the end of the arena above which lay the pathway from which she had been thrown into the pit from. She looked up, realizing the bar-gate was still open, her captors standing within the cavity in plain view – another gate had opened?! She had realized a little too late why the deadmen had gathered to the far end of the stadium opposite to her and she whipped her head around, jaw dangling off its hinges in unabated horror.

Hot blue fire drew from its massive, dagger-like teeth as if merely subtle wisps of ribbon – a description much too divine for the horror itself that constituted the beast. Horns twisting like curled snakes rested atop its flat head, eyes sunken yet glowing with the flames that burned under the great breadth of its human like chest, its gigantic hooves descended upon the earth like a god had dropped a mountain. She shook violently, toppling to her knees as her worried blue eyes took in the nightmarish stature of the creature she would never have dreamed of encountering: The Orochi Hellbeast.

There was something else her _Father _had said when he was still alive: There is always a plan. And that is only true when the want to live overcomes the fear of death.

And she wanted to live.

Fire and blood came together in a grotesque marriage. The screams and cheers threatened to make her deaf and the flying bodies made it all the more impossible for her to avoid the raining carcasses. Twice she had been captured under a handful of corpses the Beast had flung and the assault pulled her femur from its joint. Dragging along a lifeless leg and the creature spitting hell upon her, all doors to her survival slowly and in great numbers began to close for her. Without any real sorcery against which the Nether's own creatures fall weak, she had no escape, no opportunity for victory, no hope of freeing herself from this atrocious realm.

She would not allow herself to be bested by such a primeval creature, a monster whose race her _Father _had effortlessly enslaved under his command. And she was _his _daughter, a warrior fashioned by his prospects to make her able to reach out for the near unattainable strength of Kahn, what was to keep her from bringing the Beast to its downfall? Her training, her skills, her experience and her strengths were the devices with which she would twist her paths to her liking. She wanted to live and for that, she had to cram someone's head in between that last door before it finally closed.

The Orochi swung down its arms, molten rock flowing about its limbs like veins coated by thin skin. It clipped her in the heel and she tumbled to the floor, its burning claws grasping her and protruding through her flesh, lifting her high so that she floated just above its horned crown. He would club her against the hard earth until her brains lay smeared across the stadium, only a moment's opportunity available to her in whatever form and she had to take advantage of it: she tore off one of its fingers. Pained, it released its hold, the battered Empress appearing to drift to the ground given the creature's massive stature.

The claws descended once more, now balled into one gigantic fist to crush her like the insect she was – its size and weight made it just slow enough for her to barely avoid the attack. It was a short skip that saved her life for the moment, her small form scuttling away to create distance and pushing herself into the frantic ghouls to keep her hidden for only the amount of time she needed. It bashed the earth, the quake knocking her off her feet and causing her to land flat on her belly. Its thunderous steps continued to assault the ground, forcing her against the hardened earth and almost letting slip the dismembered finger from her grasp. It was impossible to regain balance; her body constantly flopped against the ground with the force with which the monster approached her. All hopes of seeking bare refuge in amongst the deadmen to at least pop her leg back into place and recover speed seemed lost.

The crushing weight of its palm pressed upon her exposed back and it scooped her up from the earth once more, fire engulfing the creature from waist down and an orb of blaze gathering in its wide open jaws. She had to create the opportunity not merely seek it and a plan she did form, however crude – holding the Orochi's finger like the dagger of a petty murderer, she thrust the member into its mouth, forcing it out of the back of its head. It choked on the fire it threatened to dispel, swallowing the plume and letting it explode within its throat. Splintered bones, flesh, blood and flames all released into the air, not sparing the woman from the assault. She screamed as she fell to the ground, the needle-like remains of the flying bones embedding themselves in her face, neck and chest.

The crowd went wild.

* * *

"Even if you deny it to yourself, you will never be able to forgive me," the Swordsman merely stated, his voice so stale as if the emotions that once previously laced them a few hours ago never even existed. He looked up from the ground, somewhat startled by Kenshi's words until the meanings had registered in his mind; he was lost in his own thoughts again, eyes focused on the path his partner's feet tread to the steps of the Prisons, where he had assumed Goong to be lurking about before his companion would confirm the location.

"No…" Sub Zero shook his head, earnest in intent. Indeed, he was crushed to be told that his thoughts were not his alone, yet he knew time would eventually erode away the bitterness. All would be forgiven, he was sure of that, and he would not allow Kenshi to demean himself when it was not justified. Everything that happened was not out of the Blind Man's own accord – at least, that was what he had told him. But in that moment, the Lin Kuei was ready to forgo that the other was most likely delving into his mind again before making that assertion. "No, I- "

"I understand," he said with a smile, ultimately dismissing the talk when Sub Zero realized they had arrived at the Prisons' gates – Kenshi's intents would remain shrouded in mystery for the time being. Edenian soldiers flanked the entryway and ushered the two in; they would have to continue their conversation another time, as long as Kenshi would still allow the opportunity. But as Goong's face came into view, his sleek, armored frame dwarfed by the second set of chained iron gates, Sub Zero knew that all answers were lost indefinitely. The metal doors refused to quiver, the Grandmaster's ice-barricade successfully containing the fury of their prisoner locked inside – though he would have to bring it down in order to interrogate the captive.

"Have you decided?"

Of course, it would be the first thing the General would want of them.

"We require just a little more time," Kenshi prompted before Sub Zero could even form the words in his mind. "I assure you, we'll have something ready by nightfall."

And, of course, the Blind one would decide what is best for the Lin Kuei. He had every right, though, to be concerned of his well-being and even if his actions may have been for the benefit of the older warrior, Sub Zero could not help but grit his teeth. Being treated like he was to stop breathing in the coming hours… he was right. Perhaps he would never be able to forgive him. Goong expelled a long, drawn out sigh, a good enough gesture that he was not pleased with the answer but would accept it conditionally.

"Taitung loses light rather quickly," he warned, his subordinates undoing the heavy chains in the same fashion as they had done before. The gates had to be pulled open rather than the force of the captive's mock-storm thrusting them to crash against the cobblestone walls of the exterior.

"So they tell me," the Swordsman replied as the men all walked past the entryway and into the dungeon's hallway. The soldiers at the doors remained poised, their gloved hands splayed against the gates, waiting for the Blindfolded Warrior to follow suit. He did not move from his spot. Sub Zero turned to glance at the doors, mentally wondering whether Kenshi was to even accompany him, after all, his gift of sharing another's thoughts would serve well when they would press the convict for information. He must have read his mind because he softly shook his head and walked away, leaving the Ice Master with Goong's men.

The doors cried with their own burden and the rust encasing their hinges as they were pulled shut. Sub Zero was sure that the light within the dungeons grew fainter the moment the gates closed.

* * *

At least this new chamber was quiet. The assault on her ears by the sweeping roars of the audience outside had left her sore and most likely deaf, the little sorcery that barely even flared within her too little and too important to spare for healing her intensive injuries. The Guard had to drag her along the heated floors, blood trailing a crimson blanket behind her before they arrived at the holdings. Her head spun from her daring offense earlier, rendering her senses dull and crumbling her consciousness; there was no way she could have seen the path they had used to take her to the prison. For another time, perhaps, when she would regain enough energy to be able to fight again. But how long still would she be granted the time and peace for her to recover? Was it even possible for any soul – living or dead – to be able to heal amidst the corrupt and corrosive nature of the realm?

She decided not to think about it. Thinking expelled more precious energy trying to keep herself awake. Her eyes fluttered momentarily and she was greeted by a small array of twisted, molding faces. Some of them retained thin wisps of their hair, some adorned animals' hides for clothing, all had been seized in the tight grasp of death. Was she on the floor? She did not remember, neither had she felt the Guard discarding her within the decaying cell, her broken body lying crumpled in a pool of her own quickly accumulating blood. The others remained patiently silent, observing without the need to prod her with the stubs that were left of their fingers. They did, though, squawk in their own alien language, voices capitalized with inherent fascination. Perhaps it had been because they found relatively intact humans a rare sight. Given a few years if she did not find a way out of the wretched Nether, she would most likely begin to resemble the undead folk.

She had not noticed the larger, less deformed looking one directing his gibberish at her. She blinked in confusion, partly because she had no understanding of his language and partly because she had to strain to hear. The string of nonsensical murmurs continued until she began to doubt he spoke a language she knew.

"Common… tongue…" she could barely whisper, the bone fragments lodged in her face and neck making the task of speaking an excruciatingly painful one. He nodded slowly, giving him the false appearance of an executioner.

"Who… else?" she demanded, her eyes wandering over the remaining mangled faces, none else of which could respond; their eyes were blank, as if it was she who spoke in a foreign language. She turned her head to her side, resting herself within the crimson puddle.

* * *

He had frozen his captive to the stone floor, his hunched figure embedded within a crystal boulder. The ice that once blockaded the only entrance of the cell had melted to nearly three-quarters of its initial volume. The Grandmaster would repair it later after the interrogation was complete and whatever his heart desired had been extracted from the prisoner. The storms the enemy had released within the confines of his chamber had exhausted him, more so left him with little oxygen until the first crack in the ice had appeared as it melted over the hours. He was already on his knees, fatigued and panting like his own lungs had been crushed when they allowed the Ice Warrior in.

They called this man "Traitor" and Sub Zero had only become sure of the captive's origin when he chanced upon the wretch's eyes. Only amongst the Edenians – Kitana, Goong and the few soldiers he sometimes came across – had he seen that hauntingly eerie shade of blue, and this man was not an exception. His ivory hair, pale skin and that unique eye color stood as oaths to his heritage. His given title by the officers that flanked the Lin Kuei's side, however, was enough for him to acknowledge how the kneeling warrior's history had diverged from the rest of his kin.

But the convict had strength unimaginable: control over the furies of nature. He chose to bring rain, sleet, hail or storm whenever he wished it, wherever he wished it but not without the limitations of human weakness, that is. He tired within hours, overwhelmed by his own destructive force that he now sat like a cripple in front of his captors, his lungs too exhausted to allow for any air to leave him when they prodded him for answers. Frail or not, Sub Zero would not allow himself to underestimate the extent of the Edenian's almost godlike prowess and so encased him within ice to keep him from lashing out when they would least expect it.

"What information does your employer seek?" the Korii Warrior queried with acute subtlety, watching the trapped thing barely shake his head in response. Sub Zero tightened his fist, the ice prison simultaneously squeezing upon the screaming man. He released his grasp and so did the ice as it expanded to allow enough room for the man to hang his head in bare comfort. The older warrior had no opinions upon torturing his victims for information – enough experience of conducting such cruel methods of prying for information had rendered his feelings null and his skills even more brutal. He had never killed anyone, never in spite and never in accident. Torturing men rather than depriving them of their lives was a preferred option in Sub Zero's case. "What is his purpose?"

There were no qualms on who had sent him.

The ice contracted once again when the response was inadequate, the echoes of the Traitor's screams becoming so routine that it appeared as if the Grandmaster was attempting to conduct a very twisted symphony. Sub Zero crossed his leg over his knee, leaning back in the icy chair he had effortlessly created for himself after a good hour had passed – this one was resilient, a quality he would have only valued if the convict was on his side, rather than protecting the secrets of his enemies.

"That is very unlike you, Rain," Goong's airy voice came like a breeze, deceiving the ill-intent he harbored for his prisoner. "You never sat mum when given pain."

"Fuck you-aaaAAARRHHH!" the ice seized again, nearly crushing his bones and organs.

"But I do think I can understand your prejudice," the General kept on, his arms folding across the armor plate protecting his chest. "Having to resort to calling a lowly Tarkata your Master- "

Edenians are a proud race, a fact that vaguely presented itself to him over a gradual course of time. And given their pride, Sub Zero should have known that this 'Rain' would not have taken Goong's comment too lightly. If he would have remembered the detail any sooner, he would have stopped the Edenian General personally before the offending words slipped off his pointed tongue. The ice disintegrated into a shower of crystals, a furious assault of wild, moisture-laden winds whipping out and nearly tossing the men into the far end of the dungeon's halls if Sub Zero had not crafted a protective barrier between them and the Storm-brewer.

They all nearly stumbled out, the furious convict's voice ringing above the powerful wail of the miniature twisters, screaming in all fury that he was not Baraka's servant. The winds lashed out, drawing long gashes in the walls of the chamber and shattering the small shield effortlessly, forcing the Ice Warrior to fend the offensive off once again, his fingers quickly working to set up the cell's barricade and thicken it. He was shocked when he realized he managed a strong shield despite the chaos, the puzzled Edenian Guard stumbling to their feet and looking on in bewilderment.

They waited until the already muffled screams faded into complete silence and the force held behind did not make the ice wall and the earth shiver under its fury. Sub Zero straightened his back, the last wisps of his energy floating out from the tips of his crystal fingers, having strengthened the excessively dense shield. They all stood in terrified silence, a few who had been overwhelmed by the outburst panting uneasily . Sub Zero whipped around, grasping Goong's collar and pulling the witless Officer so close that he only stood two inches away from the Korii Warrior's mask.

"Don't cost me this information!" the Lin Kuei bellowed, his cold blue eyes ready to spit fire if necessary. The General was at a loss for words, paralyzed by the endearing powerhouse that kept him hovering a bare centimeter from the ground, the ice from his balled fists coating the Edenian's armor and livery in frost. The ice inched up to his neck, chilling his skin to the extent that it began to turn a deathly blue. In that rare moment of fury, all forgot that Sub Zero was readily threatening the man responsible for the fates of the Forces of Light after the death of their Ruler. "No one comes near this cell again, except whom I choose. Do I make myself clear?"

No one dared even whisper a response.

Sub Zero took it as a yes

He pushed away the Officer with enough force to have him collide against the walls and stomped out of the dungeons, the guards at the gates hurriedly prying the gates open for fear of encountering the flaming Warrior's wrath – another storm was brewing.

* * *

"Run from Durga?" the larger one asked and unsympathetically so as he eyed the crouching newcomer, her rather intact fingers doing the tedious work of feeling for the splintered bone that pierced her entire visage and painfully pulling each one out. She did not recall the exact amount of time she spent lying in her own blood, resting her aching body and substituting rest where she could not allow herself to sleep. The first thing she had done when she slowly lifted herself from the pool of now curdled blood was to remove the pins that still poked into her skin. It hurt, but it had to be done and only then would she be able to pay due attention to her limp leg. She was surprised how she had not contracted some sort of infection until now; perhaps the grueling heat of the Nether prevented disease from spreading through the body?

She looked up from the one who had questioned her, realizing that not only was he the stronger appearing of the deadmen, but much less decayed than the rest. She could quickly conclude that this one had died more recently than the rest, although still a time so long ago that he forgot his grasp over the Common Language. Her voice croaked as she asked him what a Durga was.

"Demon inside Durga, cast in but run from Durga," he described, adding to her confusion. "Waste of Durga, Death Mongers catch and make fight. Win well, fight more."

_Catch and make fight…_

That was enough for her to realize that he was merely dictating his own tale of how he escaped the canyons shaped in the image of the skeleton of a monster-god. The Demon living inside the "Durga" had lured him in like he had the woman, but only luck or pure will must have allowed him to escape. At least she knew that her captors had a name: Death Mongers. A suitable name, more so when she did saw they make their prisoners fight. She hissed as a rather long one had to be pulled out from the soft flesh between her collars, aware how intently the talkative one eyed the hint of indecent skin.

"Name?" she asked, trying hard to hide the curling scowl on her face as his pale-grey pupils snapped up to meet her gaze.

"Rudu," he said with a slight sharpness that left her mildly surprised, a small reflection of the man he used to be and was quickly losing, perhaps. She turned away, looking at another one, silently gazing upon her face as if she and the walls behind her were all the same. This one was a clear waste, she had thought as she reached out and gently pulled it closer to her, easing it down into her lap. It did not offer any resistance; its senses had been rendered non-existent by the erosion of this realm, a complete vegetable by that standard. Its neck let the head limp with a quick snap of its weakened bones and its thinning skin easily peeled away with enough work with her nails. She grimaced when she found the flesh beneath a morbid grey.

She looked up at Rudu, his quiet yet knowing gaze never leaving her form. He did not seem to object.

She lifted the lean carcass up with trembling hands and sunk her teeth deep into the rotted flesh.

* * *

"I'm going," Sub Zero announced to the limited party he had ushered in the quiet walkway of the palace. The short sigh that escaped Nightwolf and the lopsided frown of the Swordsman expressed their anticipated disagreement. The former shook his head, tired of the Lin Kuei's stubbornness. It was painfully obvious that the Native American had been told that Sub Zero had been granted his controversial revelation and, judging from the scowl he wore since the moment he met him, he was not at all pleased with Kenshi's decision.

"I'm not saying this because I'm concerned for your well being, Sub Zero," the Shaman began, his voice an octave deeper with the strain of trying to subdue his frustration. "You'll make us easy targets."

"I am your best chance of survival," the other argued back, stretching the conversation farther than it was intended to go. All were fully aware of the odds. It was a guaranteed conclusion that Sub Zero would not be able to come out alive if he were to accompany both men into the Netherrealm. And yet, all also understood that Sub Zero would be vital to their survival as well – only his god-given abilities could protect them from the searing infernos of Hell. The Lin Kuei folded his arms across his chest while Nightwolf simply turned away, too tired to be able to look him directly in his eyes and continue bickering.

"You can't, not after what you've done to Goong," Kenshi interjected in careful attempt to calm the Ice Warrior down. His anger had not entirely dissipated since the afternoon he had trudged out of the Prisons, blazing more furiously than Scorpion himself and this recent debate managed to spark that flare once again. How he came to know about this incident could only be credited to his telepathic capabilities.

"Oh, I'll take him along," Sub Zero warned, eyes now boring into the tranquil Swordsman's face. "I'll watch him rot there before I let anything else kill me!"

"Why are you so intent on getting yourself killed?"

"Why don't you want me to die knowing I tried?"

Kenshi tried.

He tried so hard to give him the answer he demanded but he could not. The words either disintegrated long before they would reach his tongue or his excuses would remain inadequate. Kenshi pressed his lips shut, his mouth becoming a faint, thin gray line. He would have thought that Nightwolf would have an answer in the least but even the Shaman kept his back turned, the two silent like corpses, letting the Ice Master wallow in his own rage before the fire would eat itself and his element would return to him.

"What?" Sub Zero pressed on, his rage no longer even comparable to the shadow of what he felt a few minutes ago, but still capable of singeing his companion's pride. "You couldn't read _that_?"

A cry in the far distance helped to alleviate the thickness in the air and replace it with something slightly lighter: confusion. Their heads turned to the direction of the distressed voice, a man clad in a faded blue shirt and a pair of jeans rushing towards them. They helped close the distance by moving towards Johnny, almost unrecognizable without his sunglasses had it not been for his casual attire.

"They got Mei, man…" he panted, the words breaking off in between as he tried hard not to waste time catching his breath. "They got Mei…"

"Who?" Nightwolf demanded, his headband crinkling where he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Goong," Kenshi answered before Cage had the chance.

* * *

A/N: Yes, well… First of all, my apologies to anyone who was expecting a quicker update. Secondly, my further apologies to anyone who might still expect a quick update considering this has just come up. The next chapter might not pop up in a couple of months, given the five exams I got come this December and all the college applications I still have to write up. I'll try to slip a new chapter here and there, but not specifically for this fiction because it requires its due focus and time. Thanks for bearing with me, though. I'd like to thank **en-lumine**, **Deity of Insanity**, **Thief of Light** and **sickoftakenpennames** for taking the time to review this fiction. Hope I still retain your appreciation and attention for this work in the future.


	18. Elusive

Chapter Seventeen: Elusive

She wedged her heel into the thin space between the iron bars of the cell, smoke wafting into the air as the heated metal burned into her skin. Her back flat against the ground she gently turned her torso to her left, eyes squeezing shut in painful anticipation of the true agony that would follow. Kitana jerked herself in the opposite direction, the momentum carrying throughout the length of her body and twisting the leg she had secured in the bars. A sickening dense crackle of bone rang in her ears before a scream tore through her throat, pain shooting up from her leg and reaching as far as her shoulders. It lasted for only a fleeting moment, the exhausted woman wrenching her foot free from the wedge and lifting herself into a sitting position.

"Kill Orochi?" her 'acquaintance' asked after he broke away from the senseless chatter she saw he liked to engage himself in along with the other, less insane prisoners. A tired yet small groan escaped her and she pushed herself up to stand, albeit crookedly since the soreness in her hip had not entirely subsided. She told him to go away, her spiteful request falling on deaf ears as the hulking corpse did not remove himself from her path. '_What path?'_ she thought to herself when she maneuvered around him only to be greeted by a hundred others like him. Sighing in defeat, she offered him a nod of her head.

His head moved from side to side in disapproval, much to her confusion.

"Happy to Death Monger when killed Orochi.," he warned. He pointed a finger at her, then him and then swayed his arm across the air as a gesture to the deadmen behind him. She, at first, blinked uncertainly before the meaning of his words registered in her mind. She slowly shook her head in disbelief – How was this right? She only killed that thing to save her own skin not _prove_ her worth to the Death Mongers! She took a step back from Rudu, absentmindedly shifting too much weight on her recently relocated hip. A small yelp escaped her and she nearly toppled to the ground had she not regained balance.

She knew she would not survive this. If the Death Mongers kept forcing her into the ring along with a whole multitude of the Hellbeasts, she would not last a breath with the amount of damage her body had taken. Her leg though was now the least of her worries but she still risked, perhaps, infection in her open wounds, the gaping tunnel in her right arm and the split in her tongue. The flesh of the creatures here was decayed and mostly rotten, their meat and blood lacking in nutrition and providing only minimal sustenance that only served to keep her from starving to death. And the worst was the poor reserve of sorcery, too little to heal even a scratch on the skin and too scarce to be used to deploy even the most basic of spells. She had nothing besides her wavering sanity and her body to carry forward before she would succumb to the horrors of this world. But then, how long would she last against every torture of the Nether?

She had no option but to try until the realm would eventually kill her; at least then she would die knowing that she did not bow and lay her pride at her feet to the gods that conspired ever so fervently to bring her down. She looked at her blistered and burnt hands, a dark gaping hole within the palm and four ribbons of black distinguishing one limb from the other. The doors were almost certainly closed except the one where she had jammed her own fingers in the crack to keep it from shutting on her face. All the while she purposely kept her eyes away from another certain doorway that stood wide open yet emitted a ghastly mist of green from the expanse beyond. But now, seeing that the closing door would slice off her own fingers as the pull opposite to hers grew stronger and stronger by the moment, her eyes slowly crept to the mystic doorway, contemplating the new path.

This sorcery she had left, was it still enough to… perhaps… take souls?

Her fingers curled into fists and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing away the thoughts that suddenly invaded her head. No. Taking souls from anything within this realm would be of her wrong doing; who was to say how corrupted their spirits are that they wind up killing her instead, or worse? She remembered stripping the ninja she fought prior to being thrown her into this world of his essence, his immortal soul adding to her excessive reserves of sorcery. It cursed her existence, infected her own spirit with _his_ taint: the barter was complete when she had been killed at the hands of Quan Chi years ago, then what other reason could Bedegi have to drag her down into Hell? She carried _his_ sins, made _his_ punishment hers… the gods be damned for tricking her like this.

So be it then, she told herself, feeling an alien pull on her face. She looked up at the silent yet wondering Rudu towering above her pathetic frame. Her existence now only amounted to this, to provide her conceit a measly compensation of simply trying to escape when the goal itself was impossible until, of course, when the realm would finally have her killed off. She touched her face, brows furrowing in bewilderment at the strange sensation. Perhaps it was time to finally accept her fate after all; why fight something which the gods had planned and executed of their will? What chance did she have in averting the conspiracies of the universe?

Her fingers gently traced her stretched lips. She was astonished that she had been smiling.

* * *

"Baraka…!" a ghostly voice sang in rhythm to the uneven steps of the Tarkatan warrior. The creature grunted in response to the greeting and cast a sidelong glance at the column of pure white that ascended from a circular chasm in the floor and connected to another ring in the tall ceiling above his head. It was a pillar made of pure essence and nothing less, the spirits of thousands scattered like pearl dust and restricted from escaping into the large expanse of the chamber by an invisible force. It was sorcery at its finest, the light escaping the pillar prompting Baraka to shield his eyes the moment before he entered through the archway entrance and made way to a figure hunched near the column.

Or what remained of the figure. It was merely a clump of spells that imitated the exact structure of the Dark Mage. The only and rather obvious difference between this and the real thing was the projection's lack of solidity; dare Baraka say it, the image was actually very pretty to look at for the thin ribbons of shimmering green that made the frame distorted the sharp and stony features of the Sorcerer.

"You leave for longer than you say; how do you expect me to give you your lover if you keep letting me doubt your motives?" the image spoke, his words drifting like a whisper. The Tarkatan lazily gestured his hand in dismissal, slightly annoyed at his employer's need to keep regulating his collection of souls even in his absence – either he was too obsessed or the pillar required constant supervision. He ran a calloused hand upon his scalp in exhaustion.

"Do you see this?" the manifestation asked as he lifted from his crouch yet did not turn away from the white column, his words laced with subdued excitement. The beauty of the lights that emitted from the ethereal column was only deceptive of what it actually was: a cocoon, an incubator for an abomination and nothing less. When the eyes would eventually grow used to the splendid glow he could always make out a shape within the centre of the wave of spirits, a solid form perhaps that of a man or woman – it was hard to tell but there was something very much alive in the heart of the pillar. "Only four more Kamidogu, Baraka, and when I have them can you imagine what will happen?"

The Mutant remained quiet though offered a small shrug for the simple task of humouring the Sorcerer. He had some semblance although he was sure that whatever monstrosity Chi intended to set free would quickly put his doubts to rest when he would see it. He knew that telling his employer that he had an idea would just earn his silent disapproval. All that would be offered in return would be reassurance; reassurance that no mortal is capable of understanding what is beyond his comprehension.

"I don't see the progress you've been working so hard for the last time I left it," Baraka sighed when he saw that same dark shape hidden within the mist of shimmering white nod towards him. At least he thought it was a nod. The twisting spirits inside perhaps cast an illusion?

"I would not blame myself for this fault," the image of the Sorcerer spoke. The strings of emerald spells that made his lips stretched into what seemed like a pleasant smile if the Tarkatan was not aware of the Mage's deceptiveness at first hand. "It is nothing without the remaining Kamidogu and you had at least two potentials killed."

* * *

She was vulnerable without the _gansen_. Pain, fatigue and blood loss had all done enough to compromise both physical and mental capability but the knowledge that she did not have her war fans on her person wracked her mind like a phantom. She had to tell herself countless of times that she did not have to miss them so much: the Death Mongers threw in any random weapon during a bout, some more effective than the _gansen_. She had gotten her hands on a pair of fans but they were not hers. She discarded them the moment she fell to her knees after another difficult victory, her captors dragging her back to her current abode. Every time they would transfer her from the bowl to the cells, she would berate herself for not using any weapon given to her to cut through them all and make her escape.

Not without her fans, she told herself understanding fully that it was the most irrational and foolish demand she had ever made of herself. It was foolish not because she was delaying her escape by waiting for the Mongers to throw in her set of fans but because she still held on to the dismal hope of attaining freedom. She knew she had lost her mind. With every fight she paid less heed to her attackers and more to the structure of the ring, mapping the construct in her mind and carefully planning according to every fissure in the bounds, to every drainage funnel that carried spilled blood out of the arena, to every position of the Monger sentries at the tops of the massive walls, to every precise moment the gates would fall and rise. The ring was not impassable, at least that was true, but her weakness was what stunted her goals.

The audience bellowed in deranged ecstasy as the leader amongst the Mongers cried out in his unknown dialect. His dagger like teeth glimmered even under the sickening red glow of the realm, especially the single canine that stuck out in the air. Rudu had told her the overseer had a pair of his largest teeth only until one showpiece had managed to jump the bounds during a match and tear out the right one before escaping. They were made of gold, he had said, which was more than enough one would need to pay for a ferry to the Fifth Plane. The tale had her attention instantly but her questions had to be delayed when the Mongers came to fetch her for another fight.

A pair of Mongers walked to the edge of the raised walls and tossed a small assortment of weapons into the ring – a signal that the match had begun. Her opponent, a lanky yet muscular creature with three pairs of glowing yellow eyes and a slack jaw that always let saliva run freely, hobbled towards the pile and took a hold of the biggest axe he could find. She had distaste for heavy weapons. They were slow to swing through the air, induced excessive strain on the muscles that would tire her quickly and took too much of her precious time to recover from the momentum, but in the hands of an eight-feet tall mass of muscles and pure animal instinct it was a formidable tool. She spat a curse as she dodged the axe with a wide margin, annoyed how the Mongers loved to make her fend off against creatures nearly thrice her own size.

She skidded on a tripod of her legs and left hand towards the array of blades that dotted a small patch of the ring's ground, her eyes catching a familiar gleam amongst them. Her hand darted out and swiped the blade well before she came to a stop at a distance and propped herself up on her feet. The creature had caught up to her all too quickly, executing a vertical blow that missed the target as she performed a whirling sidestep. She let the weapon slip from her hands and grasped the end of the chain-link attached to the hilt of the blade before it too fell from her fingers. The woman swung the extended killing-tool and managed a thin gash in the creature's arm that did nothing to deter it.

Kitana distanced herself from another blow, twisting her body and keeping firm the circular motion of her hand in order to control the glide of the blade, mimicking what she had seen the Spectre do. She hunched over and ran towards the hulking the figure, missing the great sway if his arms and slashing the spear across his abdomen. A thin spray of rustic crimson stained her face as she continued her rapid approach, a hand thrusting into the opening and latching on to anything that did not slip out from her fingers. She turned sideways to avoid her opponent's lurching weight that surely would have crushed her, sliding back so that his innards formed a tether between her bloodied hand and his stomach.

The creature fell limp and the pleased cries of the audience echoed throughout the massive arena, ignorant of the woman who paced backwards near the perimeters of the bowl, dropped the kunai next to her feet and kicked it with her heel into the drains.

* * *

His stomach churned at the sight of the mutilated man. His torn face, still red with blood that indicated a very recent demise, twisted into a frozen scream. Pain, anguish and terror… Sub Zero would never had thought that the dead would be so expressive; the last of this soul's screams now muted yet leaving a remnant, a resonance of how dearly he must have begged for mercy. A hand flipped across the mortified features, shrouding the nightmarish expression of the corpse under a brown tarp. The Lin Kuei looked up, his cold glare clashing with the fire that sprang behind the Edenian General's dark orbs.

"And you who enlists murderous lunatics amongst your ranks," Goong almost spat, his set of graying teeth clenching tightly enough to let his jaw stick out. "But _I_ will not allow killers to roam free!"

Despite his rage, he knew that the Officer's mind was busy in deciphering the reason behind the slight kink in Sub Zero's body, the weight of his voice when he spoke and the subtle differences in the plumes of his own frosted breath drifting before his face. The man had lived for centuries, long enough to hone his skills in the art of interrogation that reading one's body language had become child's play to him. To think of it, a man with no extraordinary gift or power who can easily disclose all his secrets with just one look at him, left the Lin Kuei in admiring yet fearful awe.

He was an intelligent foe and not one to be trifled with.

"She's not a killer!" Johnny argued, voice hoarse with nausea partly from having to look at the putrid cadaver the General had presented to them and partly because he could not bear the Edenian's accusations. The Action Hero had to be held back by Kenshi. Rage, disbelief and sorrow overwhelmed the older man, blinding him to the fact that they never had an argument in the first place. A murder is a murder and there is no reason it can be justified, though Cage did not believe that. His friend needed him and he was willing to have her sins pardoned if it meant they would spare her life.

They never even noticed the rustic sway of the heavy doors or the synchronized salute of the Guards as Jade stepped inside and came to halt at Goong's left. Her thin brows were crinkled upon her sweaty forehead. She must have been busy somewhere and unwillingly so before she found the time to break away and address yet another situation: this one.

"Jade," Johnny announced her name in relief, hands gesturing forward to point out her presence amongst them. He felt as if her answer would be obvious but the remaining two males kept their lips sealed. They knew better. "Listen to this guy here; tell me you know this is wrong."

A pit welled up inside Cage when he received her morose silence as an answer. Her gaze was hard yet it only formed a thin veil of courage; behind her façade, even she knew that she could not hide her regret. They knew she did not deserve their anger, she only did what she thought was right – knew was right. Li Mei had taken an innocent life and she would have to face the consequences. Sub Zero sighed, a large puff of super-chilled air filtering through his mask and escaping into the air. If he were in Jades shoes, he would have made the same decision.

"The deceased's family has demanded blood payment," Jade announced after a long pause, enough time to let the bulging vein in the side of Goong's neck to submerge under his thick skin and enough time for calm to overcome the frantic Cage.

"And the Edenian Militia have the right to law in this realm?" the Grandmaster questioned in a weary tone. His eye lids drooped slightly and his breaths evened until only a barely visible ribbon of vapour now sourced from his mask. He was tired of everything, tired of all these secrets and all these conspiracies. Although he knew he was being brutally callous for Li Mei's wellbeing, he could not help but wish if there was a way he could walk away from everything and sleep it all away. Sleep for decades perhaps and wake up to a world that was new, that had grown used to living without him.

He looked at Jade, knowing that she felt exactly what he was feeling right now.

"The Provincial Head has been requested to dispatch a jury," she answered, lifelessly. "They will announce the final verdict."

"Jade, you can't…!" Cage pleaded, swiftly walking past the Swordsman and closing the distance between him and the Edenian woman. The final resort was pointless. "How would you feel if someone told you that you come from a family of whores?"

She guffawed. Bitterly.

"How _would_ I feel?" she demanded, the amusement in her voice and the mock smile on her face unflattering her otherwise kindly features. It stunned the Movie Star. He did not have any reason to ask her any more questions; he did not have the courage to anyway. The acidic hilarity subsided almost as quickly as it had overcome Jade and her eyes registered that same coldness as they always did.

"General Somato," she announced. Goong straightened himself, clapping his gloved hands to dust them off and turned towards the woman, offering a nod in acknowledgement.

Sub Zero narrowed his already tired eyes at the General, confused.

General Somato? Why would Goong respond to that name?

"_Somato…"_ the name was all too familiar and he could not remember where he had first heard it. Jade had already turned to leave giving one last command to the few other soldiers in her native language, her wooden heels clicking against the stone floor as she walked. Goong also turned to follow.

"_I want you all prepared and armed," _she had snapped at him, the room shrouded in the shadows that danced around the poor light of the candle. Her eyes were locked onto his, an untold number of secrets flickering behind them. Did she want to tell him something? Or was it a trick of the light? Her bitterness made him indifferent to her silent whispers, made him incapable of realizing that it was all a ruse. A hoax to lure in the dragon in gold lurking behind his back that had convinced everyone else he had no teeth. _"My battalion, numbering at twenty-eight, excluding myself and General Somato, will be advancing forth from Lei Chen two hours from now. I expect for you and your group of misfits to be ready by then."_

"Somato!" Sub Zero called before the said Edenian left the chamber. The Lin Kuei was silent as Goong turned around and gave him a smile; a knowing, impish smile.

The grin managed to answer so many of Sub Zero's questions and raise a thousand more at the same time.

* * *

**A/N: **Am I the only one who imagined Sub Zero painfully trying to strut in green stilettos?

Anyway, my final paper is tomorrow. And I've stopped caring. Which was why I wrote this while I was supposed to be studying. That's why its kinda short.

Many thanks to **sickoftakenpennames**, **en-lumine **and **Deity of Insanity** for reviewing. And thanks to **LOL101** for her colourful opinion on Kitana.


	19. Liars

Chapter Eighteen: Liars

Time had no pace in this realm. The system of Day and Night did not exist here, instead replaced by a fiery sky that even she had not the luxury of seeing in what seemed to be an eternity. Had it been years? Had it been mere moments? Did it matter if she would count her breaths, waiting for a chance that appeared to have been a hopeless little dream all along? She had cut her hair short to her ears so long ago and from then till now they had grown out to reach a little past her shoulders – without the Sun and the Moon beckoning the days to pass, without a sky that never grew any bright or dark, this was all she had to gain some semblance of Time.

But she had Time enough to collect the knowledge she desired, information as vast as any sea which she had carefully accumulated and deciphered over the years. This dungeon and the Stadium in which the Mongers pitted their captives against each other was merely part of one giant structure, a city they called Nekros. The Death Mongers' Playgrounds remained under the City and far below, as Rudu had narrated to her, was a God who held Nekros above his head to keep it from toppling into the fiery depths.

The drains, he had said, channeled spilled blood to the God to satiate his hunger and keep him from tossing the City away in rage. She had laughed at the outlandish story and at the fact that she believed him; believed every word he said. Years spent remaining trapped within the Nether had taken a toll on her sanity. Everything now seemed a possibility and even the slightest aid from any creature of the realm was considered a kindness only a friend could bestow. And the worst? She had every reason to justify this madness. After all, what purpose would it serve for him to lie to her? He had nothing to hide, nothing to protect save his own skin. Why did he need to believe in hope anyway? Was there any escape for him, retribution from his sins?

Only she had that hope, had the wish to escape and rid herself from this accursed realm, but then again, anything could happen. She asked him of more important things, namely how that 'someone' manage to gain his freedom from the Mongers' tight grip.

He waited, she was told by the larger captive, waited long enough for his energies to return to his limbs when he was brought for what turned out to be his last fight. He had cast a power upon the Overseer, summoned an element upon the Mongers' leader that left him immobilized. The rebel had torn out one of the two horn-like canines of the Overseer and scaled the walls, trapping the scrambling crowd within his strange spells. The Guard had followed but they never returned with the body, never spoke a word of the warrior – there was very little doubt he was successful in his escape.

There was only one reason why the escapee had plucked the Overseer's tooth, the undead prisoner continued, and that was because he would bribe the Lost Ferryman for a ride to the Higher Planes. Rudu was confident in what he told her; after all he did reveal that it was he who told the rebel the teeth were made of gold. Kitana could almost shudder. Hearing of this "Lost Ferrymen" painted her a picture of a vast, sinister sea but that was the least of her worries – she feared deep waters more than any horror the Underworld could throw her way. She could assure herself that even if she did escape, Bedegi would have something planned for her near the waters the "Lost Ferryman" claimed. Shrugging away the thoughts, the Edenian asked Rudu the name of the escapee but the other provided a shrug in response. The man had never told him his name, merely said that he must escape if he must see his family one last time.

In the distance, amidst the lost and windy howls of the deadmen came the sound of the gates' metal locks turning and clashing against each other. Iron-clad hooves struck the floors as a group of the Mongers arrived at the cell's door. She sighed, turning away when one of them barked at her to gain her attention. They had given her a name though she did not know what it was or what it meant, but the growl remained all the same when they wanted her to fight. They grew impatient when she did not entertain them with a response as they called out to her again and again. She did not have to oblige. They knew she always insisted on being stubborn, then why not get used to it?

One of them kicked at the locks and the cage's bars descended into the steel floors, the two largest of the Death Mongers approaching the woman and grabbing her by the arms. They insisted on dragging her along though she offered no resistance, half walking and half-pulled along the pathway to the Arena, the audience's cries growing louder and louder as they would bring her to a new enemy. The Stadium gates were down to allow her to see beyond, the Overseer standing above the wall and proclaiming the fight to his audience as he did every time. She then shifted her gaze towards one specific end of the Bowl where she had kicked the Spear into the drains years ago; during every brawl she had seen the blade stuck in the narrow passage and once again, when another battle is won, she hoped to find it still there.

But when she stepped out into the Arena, worry quickly overwhelmed her when she saw who it was that stood in the ground waiting to skin her for the sake of his survival. He towered above her despite the distance, Kitana frozen stiff as the gates to the Stadium closed behind her, leaving her at the mercy of her opponent and the watching crowd. She could not tell what the other was thinking, what he was feeling: his eyes remained as pale and lifeless as they were, displaying no emotion, no sense of being whatsoever save for the corruption of the Nether that always burned within him. He slowly moved towards the pile of weapons they had tossed in and rose with a Morning Star in his giant hands.

"Don't…" Kitana barely whispered, her soft-spoken words useless amidst the roaring cries of spectators. Her opponent was silent, his hulking figure marching towards her without any hesitance. She paced back as she noticed his walk had gotten steadily faster, stumbling so she fell upon her back and the taller warrior came up to drown her in his shadow. "Rudu, don't!"

She rolled out of the way before the Morning Star squashed her lungs. Scrambling to her legs she made it towards the scattered blades and swiped up the first one she set her eyes on: one of a pair of Sai.

"Don't do this, Rudu…!" she warned. He did not seem to listen, straightening himself and resuming his quick walk towards the woman. She trailed back, holding the flimsy weapon at her side though she knew there was little she would do if she met his attack. "I can help you but none of it would matter if either of us are dead!"

"Rudu will listen small woman?" his demanded, leaning slightly to allow her the luxury to listen to his voice through the excited jeers of the viewers. She was taken aback by the harshness of his tone, what remained of his decayed muscles tightening with adrenalin, a clear sign that he had not let up any thoughts on pulverizing her given the chance. Her stance also remained poised at the ready, the Sai held downwards so that the tip would touch her elbow – a defensive position which was nothing but useless against the powerful swings of Rudu's Morning Star and yet was the only stance that was possible for Kitana to utilize given she had only one of the two-set weapon. "Woman do what man seeks family do? Man sorcerer…! Woman weak…"

"Forfeit," she told him, her grip on the Sai tightening although she realized that she had gained his attention. He breathed heavily, rage evidently seeping through, the stench though almost unbearable doing nothing to daunt the woman who reasoned with him. The spectators bawled in disappointment and the Overseer barked infuriated curses at the pair who robbed them all the pleasure of a brutal fight. Kitana slowly held up her hands, a gesture that indicated submission – she had to be crazy to leave herself open to the fuming Rudu but it was all she had to convince him of her intentions.

What did she see in his eyes? Was it a moment of consideration? Contemplation? Was it sadness? It was something new, something that broke through all the anger she had seen reign upon Rudu's state of mind, an emotion so soft that he became a human in her eyes once more; the human he was before his eternal damnation. The Sai dropped from her hands and the contempt of the audience grew greater when they saw Rudu ease and stand erect once more, the Morning Star dangling at his side.

"Forfeit and I promise you," she said, her hands now at her side as well. "I promise you I will free you."

The Edenian had forgotten something. When she had looked into his forlorn eyes and saw something different other than the corrupting fury of the Nether, she could see the human he once was. And he had to be a very despicable human indeed to be swallowed by Hell and left to decay in it forever.

Rudu rammed his weapon into her face.

* * *

"You startled me!" the Master gasped, placing a hand on his chest and releasing a long sigh. There was no need to fall for that trick, Sub Zero knew, the man had lived nearly a thousand of the Lin Kuei Warrior's lifetimes that simply walking into his abode without an announcement would not entail even the least bit of surprise. Sub Zero thought it wise to ignore and promptly took an unoccupied seat nearest to him, fingers curling upon his knees in both frustration and anticipation.

"Why did Mei kill that man?" the question was blunt and the strangely heated stare of the Ice Warrior was enough to let the Master know he did not like secrets being kept from him; awful, dirty secrets. Bo' Rai Cho maintained a gentle smile, eyelids drooping in slight exhaustion but the glimmer in his eyes removed any doubt that the Teacher would hold any ill thoughts. He knew every little detail on the incident, the Grandmaster was sure, since Johnny would not have spared a second to run to him and inform him of his student's predicament. He did not seem too adamant on unveiling the truth and it made his smile all the more ugly to the Grandmaster.

"Don't play games with me, Cho," Sub Zero snapped when he did not receive a satisfying response, disregarding his respect for the Wise Man. He hated secrets and all the more despised all who guarded those secrets yet did not refrain from flaunting them in front of his face. Had he never sworn his faith to the Wind God, the Korii Master would not have been here, caught between the crossfire of carefully fabricated lies. It sickened him to spend a moment longer still without being told, as if his own allies used him as their puppet.

"_She is not sick…"_ Sub Zero had wondered out loud. There was something else to the young girl, something really wrong and nothing sike the Lin Kuei's own condition. She was young, or at least appeared young enough to have barely come out of her late teens – there was no possibility of ruling out that she suffered from the exact 'disease' as him. When he had seen her during their march to that imaginary battlefield with the Edenian Force, when she gulped for air through muffled screams, her body contorting wildly as she slipped and fell from her steed, when her Master held her head in his hands as if readying to twist her neck; something was terribly wrong that Bo' Rai Cho had not warned them about.

Though Kenshi did not turn his face his way, he still furrowed his brows in confusion, the fabric covering his eyes wrinkling with the effort. It did not take him too long before he realized what Sub Zero was talking about and his expression eased into a somber one.

"_She is not sick,"_ the Grandmaster had repeated. _"We are not being told everything; Master Cho has been keeping secrets…"_

"_What if she is something we should all be wary of?"_ he demanded from the Swordsman who continued to remain silent. _"Should we fear her? Is she a danger to us? Will she kill us?"_

"_You're being paranoid,"_ the younger warrior offered, skeptical of the Ice Warrior's concerns.

"_No, you don't understand, Bo' Rai Cho was going to kill her…! You know about that, don't you? Why else would he want to do such a thing? And then she murders a stranger because he was rude to her? Didn't Johnny say it was as if a monster had taken her over? What if she has been possessed? What if she is not who she and her Master want us to believe?"_

"_It could be any kind of mental disorder,"_ Kenshi had rejected the older man's claims. _"I can't blame Master Cho for confusing her being bipolar or schizophrenic as being possessed by a ghost. Even Johnny couldn't have guessed it right away either. I'm no expert on disorders but it's obvious she's suffering from one."_

"_But you are not sure about this, are you?"_

"_I-"_

"You_ can read their thoughts as well, can't you?"_ the Korii Warrior queried though it sounded more like he was simply relaying an idea. His eyes grew slightly wider when realization dawned upon him that Kenshi could use the same techniques on the two in question just as he did on the Lin Kuei. He was not aware of the smile that grew behind his frosted mask, chilled vapor escaping the breathing holes in more copious amounts. _"That's it; you can uncover their secrets-"_

"_I won't,"_ came the abrupt response that wiped the grin clean off Sub Zero's face. Silence lapsed between the two as the older warrior simply offered the other a dumbfounded stare, shocked at the refusal.

"_What?"_ the word held both shock and the rapidly climbing disgust for the Blind Warrior. Though the younger man tried to maintain his stone expression, Sub Zero still managed to notice the slight tightening of Kenshi's jaw. He immediately understood everything: Kenshi already knew and was diligently keeping it all from the Lin Kuei. Moments once again passed within the quiet, the revulsion that overcame Sub Zero leaving him numb until it all came together and burst through as anger. His hand shot out to grasp the other's collar.

"_They have their secrets and you have yours," _Kenshi had warned him without any hesitation, saving him from the blow meant for his jaw. He held his fist in the air, the loathing once again dispersing his fury and replacing it with disappointment. Though he was still seething then, he had eventually eased his hold and pushed the other away from him. It did not matter even if Sub Zero did not pause to drive a punch into the Swordsman's nose because he would have easily held him back with his telekinetic prowess. Perhaps Kenshi still wanted Sub Zero to know that he could trust him? _"It's not my choice with them and neither with you. I told you your own problems but that doesn't mean I'll tell everyone else about it. That choice is entirely yours. If they should hear it, it should be from your mouth, not from another's."_

"_For god's sake, Kenshi, she's killed a man!"_

No satisfying response had come his way, nothing but a shake of the head before Kenshi left him waiting for answers in the darkness of the hallway.

Here and now, Sub Zero had every intention of changing that. Bo' Rai Cho would surely give him the answers he sought – he had no choice either way for there was nothing the Lin Kuei could do to save Mei from her evident execution unless he had the reasons to justify the murder. Thinking of it all made the Ice Master slightly ill. After all, he was trying to save a _killer_. Considering the circumstances, was it not justice that she be made to pay for taking a life that could never have done anything to defend himself from a trained fighter? Was this the reason why Cho kept mum?

"I know you have been hiding things from us," the Lin Kuei inferred, slightly uncomfortable when he noticed the Teacher's expression never even flinched. He knew it would be a cheap trick to take the Blind Swordsman's name but it was the only leverage the Grandmaster had against the relentless Outworld Master. "Kenshi already confirmed it,"

"But he did not tell you exactly what," Bo' Rai Cho called his bluff and the Lin Kuei was left without any words. What gave him away? Was it cold sweat that gathered upon the much inexperienced fighter's brow that quickly turned to frost? Was it the uneven plumes of cold breath that escaped the vents in his mask? Was it the quickly deteriorating confidence in his eyes? The Master's smile grew warmer.

"I do no keep secrets," he offered. "You have asked me and I will tell you."

"Li Mei is not a pure bred denizen of Taitung, you see, and the difference may seem subtle to those who are not aware of the history of the realm: no man, woman or child will possess colored eyes unless they follow from Edenian ancestry. And do you know where the Edenian race traces its descent from? The Lesser Gods themselves."

"What has that got to do with anything?" Sub Zero interjected, resisting the urge to roll his eyes when he wanted it to be known that he did not need this information.

"It was the only reason why Onaga spared her from enslavement."

Sub Zero narrowed his eyes in confusion which the Master had only expected.

"The Dragon King's war was with the Elder Gods and Li Mei was part of the flimsy thread that led him to his Enemies, the only remaining 'Edenian' who had not lost her life at the hands of the Deadly Alliance."

"But he had reanimated all those who had fallen, enslaved their souls so they would serve him. Why could he not choose Kitana?"

"She was already dead. Tell me, what use is a soul that has been polluted by the corruption of the mortal sorcery of the Deadly Alliance when Li Mei's essence remained untouched, unadulterated? When he made her his Queen, he had tied part of his soul to the purity of her essence so that when he would begin the twisted process of his rebirth and subsequent redemption from his mortal shell, he would carry the blood of a god… He would become the One Being."

"I saved her from that fate. Saved her from bearing the One Being and destroying the reality we know of. But even with the demise of the Dragon King, her soul still carries part of his essence… There is no One Being inside her, just the remnants of the monstrosity Onaga was and it infects her… turns her into something she is not."

"That is why you do not hesitate to kill her when she loses control of herself," Sub Zero concluded, the Teacher's beam now reduced to a morose smile. He nodded in response.

"I take care of her because I want nothing more than to have that evil purged from her. But even though she tries so hard to save herself, even she cannot ignore Onaga's stigma that overcomes her and makes her carry out the harm he had always wished upon the world… There will be a time when she would not be able to stop herself and give in to the evil. But until then I will not rob her the right to save lives so that when I finally have to silence her… she would die knowing that she was a good person."

"Even so, Master Cho," Sub Zero said, lifting himself from the chair as he tried to reason with the wiser man. "Rather than saving a life she has destroyed one."

"I understand," the Teacher assured him with a nod of his head. "I just hoped it would not have to be this soon."

"I have to go now," Bo' Rai Cho insisted, trudging towards the door under his own tremendous weight. "I have to reason with the unfortunate's family…"

He paused in the doorway, placing a hand upon the frame and turning to look over his shoulder. He only silently gazed at the Lin Kuei for some time as if contemplating a distant memory. Sub Zero exchanged glances, waiting for him to say what Cho desperately wanted to.

"You are right," the Outworld Master had said after a long pause. "If only I was as pragmatic as you and your brother."

Sub Zero stood petrified at the mention of his brother, too numb to even call out to the older man as he turned back to face his intended destination, too frozen to stumble after him as Cho shut the door behind him, too empty to question himself how the other would have known about his brother.

His heart descended into a void and his lungs contracted to squeeze the air out from him. He could not taste the air, could not feel the wood he grasped as he doubled over, legs quivering under his wet and the frost that coated him melting into small trickles of water. The silence became denser, no sound escaped from the toppled chair as he was pulled to the ground and no scrape came when his nails scratched against the concrete ground as he tried to crawl towards the door. No whimper floated from his lips as he tried to scream Bo' Rai Cho's name and then just plain screamed hoping his voice would return and alert anyone, _anyone_, who happened to be outside. Black flooded his vision and a weight descended upon him, threatening to crush his weakening ribs underneath him.

As he flailed about, his cries muted, his sight swamped in darkness and his lungs empty of air, he had felt only one thing before he fell unconscious: the tears that flowed down his cheeks.

* * *

With one blow, she was dead.

With one blow, the metal spikes of the weapon had raked and torn off part of her cheek. With one blow, he had dislodged a handful of her teeth and scattered them all over the ground. With one blow, he had crushed her left eye and rendered her partially blind. With one blow, he had shredded her left ear and rendered her part deaf. With one blow, he had split her collarbone so that it protruded from the skin. With one blow, he had sent her across the stadium and into the wall. With one blow, the impact shattered her ribs and sent the splinters into her lungs.

With one blow, she was dead and she already knew it.

She fell to her knees, barley able to vomit blood before Rudu closed the distance and thrust the morning star into her stomach. The bile and blood heaved from her mouth, stifling her anguished screams and choking the already scarce air from her windpipe. The weapon was stuck into her flesh, allowing Rudu to scrape her off the wall and hold her high into the air before he rammed her into the ground and repeated the assault so many times over that she would never have been able to keep count. She could hear the frantic and excited cheers of her audience, marveling at her brutal punishment whilst all she could do was gag on the blood that kept pooling into her mouth.

He held her up yet again but instead of beating her into the ground took a hold of her head with his free hand and pulled the weapon out from her stomach. Copious amounts of her blood sprayed into the air and pooled upon the floor, her mouth and eyes wide in the terror that gripped her. He brought her slightly closer, her petrified blue eyes taking in the image of the monster that would end her existence right there.

"Sorcerer Man promise Rudu same thing," he growled and her eyes widened in unabated horror. His weapon reeled back before it cut through the air and headed for her skull. She screamed last before the weapon made contact, a scream brimmed with the purest of her terror that she felt at that moment. Something inside her gave way, her last urge to live, her last resort to survive and the only amount of sorcery she had left within her escaped in an explosive fire. The weapon flew from his hands and its owner was thrust off his feet and into the air, the woman dropping to the earth like a wilted petal.

It was all she could possibly bear, her body pushed beyond all limits, her only hope of ever escaping the wretched realm – her sorcery – spent and finally gone. She could not hear the ecstatic shrieks of the crowd, could not feel her limbs besides the unimaginable amount of pain that gripped her body, could not feel any more fear as the recovered Rudu entered her vision once again and towered above her. All she felt was the slow grasp of death finally overcome her as her eyes fluttered shut and welcomed the darkness.

* * *

Death perhaps would have been her final escape from all the pain. Nothing had changed when she slowly opened her eyes, her body still uselessly weak from the blood loss and wracked with so much agony that it did not leave her the strength to even let out a whimper. Faces surrounded her, the faces of the deadmen that shared her prison, and between them all was her supposed killer. History seemed to repeat itself, reminding her of the moments when she had been first brought to her cell and was greeted by these same faces more or less. The same strange corpses squawked in anticipation and curiosity, the same hideous glint that remained in Rudu's blank eyes when he had seen the delicate flesh between her collarbones.

The only difference this time was that the pain was much worse than before and too overwhelming for her to be able to pluck out his evil eyes as he grasped at her robes and tore them from her navel. She could not utter even a simple curse as he crouched above her, his hands having done the task of removing the clothes that shrouded her dignity. She silently told herself she was right when she saw Rudu expose himself and all the other deadmen did nothing but stare without any knowledge. She was right that he was once human and still remained human enough to do this one last thing to her.

He positioned himself on top of her and she closed her eyes, knowing how it would all end – the same as it did the countless times others had done the same. She would never feel it but would only hear their screams ringing in her ears, their agonizing screams as Shao Kahn's curse ate away at their bodies, ate away at Rudu's body. She opened her eyes to see the smoke lift from his quickly dissolving skin, the curse that dribbled from her as black liquid pooling around her legs. He would not stop screaming. They never stopped screaming until the ivory liquid would consume them whole, melting away their skin, flesh and bones into the same concoction she lay in.

She could only imagine what a painful death all of them had suffered, the kind of death Rudu was suffering right now. All she was sure of as she saw him descend to the ground as a puddle of thick black ooze was that his agony was greater than what he had inflicted upon her.

As his screams finally died down and every last remnant of his dissolved into that concoction, she turned to her side, bringing her knees to her chin with an effort that threatened to leave her unconscious. She pulled back up her ragged leggings to cover her once again, biting down her tongue in disgust when she contemplated thanking Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung for giving her this curse.

In that moment, the Netherrealm finally broke her.

* * *

A/N: Been having Writer's Block with a humorous story I'm writing so I decided to update this one to get my gears shifting, though it still needs a little cleaning up. Let's see if it worked.

Thanks a bunch to **en-lumine**, **Poe's Daughter** and **Deity of Insanity** for reviewing.


	20. Will

Chapter Nineteen: Will

For as long as she could remember, she had screamed for every moment spent in her latest cage. The pain was horrific, beyond anything she had experienced before – it was unreal. She shrieked so loud and for so long that at times her throat would be too bruised on the inside, her vocal cords too abused to allow her the privilege to give her agony a voice. She would fall mute until the so-called "healers" would return to use up the only bit of sorcery they possessed to reconstruct her torn body. And then she would start screaming again, thrashing within her bonds in some vague attempt to set herself free, all for the purpose of finding anything sharp enough to cut off those body parts that caused her so much pain.

In between her hysteria she would regain her sanity, but only for a fleeting moment and in that very moment she always told herself that wishing to slash herself at the waist and lop off her left arm at the shoulder would do nothing to quell the agony. But it hurt just too much and her mind would fall apart once again, air escaping her lungs as bloodcurdling cries until her better judgment would eventually – but very slowly – rebuild itself. She always managed to prolong the process by trying to scramble her head against the burning hot plate of steel they had bound her to. Her efforts were always in vain. There was no possible way she could gain enough momentum to be able to strike the back of her head hard enough against the slab of metal to crack open her skull and spill her brains all over the floor.

The Mongers and their poor sorcerers were not surprised by her behavior. Most all of the "attractions" they chose to invest in because of their popular appeal to the deranged mutants and abominations that came to watch cried out the same way she did. And they found it most annoying that none of them would be grateful for the immense efforts rendered to restore their flesh and bone. Mages of the lowest caliber served the Mongers and journeyed to the nearest Soul Stone to absorb enough of the vile magic as their limited knowledge of the dark arts would allow them. The trek back involved them losing a good portion of their energy to the corrupting influence of the realm and so all they came with was a weak spell, enough to reconstruct one organ at a time.

The process was long and enduring for both the fighter they chose to heal and for the Mongers who conducted their senseless blood-sport; the warrior must bear such immense pain for years if need be while the Mongers would suffer a lack of audience for every boring fight they sponsored. The crowds would not pay good coin if the battles were not as entertaining as some of them made it to be. The rare finds, the more powerful warriors, would have to be conserved if they ever wished to see enough gold in their vaults to buy a whole year of freedom from Bedegi's tortures. And yet, she would scream obscenities, beg them to kill her and cry out at some vague gods to end her, but not one word of gratitude did they hear from her.

But unlike the others they had healed countless of times before, they never once saw her shed a tear for her pain. They heard her screeches, saw her eyes grow wide as if tears threatened to flood them, her whole body shaking like a convulsing snake as some vivid and sickening hallucination danced before her eyes. Yes, she would have cried, for whatever her mind conjured before her frightened blue pools destroyed every grain of her bravery in an instant, but they did not have to pleasure of ever seeing a solitary trail of moisture streak down her face.

Her principle healer had spoken of only three instances of her directly conversing with him when her bout of insanity had subsided and when there was no other besides he and the warrior who occupied the room.

"Have you seen my sister?" she had first asked to which the lowly mage answered with a shake of his head. "She was ugly."

"Have you seen my father?" and once again he said he had not. "He was ugly."

"Have you seen my mother?" but this time she had abruptly held her breath as if she realized she had overlooked an important detail. When he did not offer his response as always, she had decided to keep mum until another lapse in sanity allowed her to resume howling like a mad animal.

The process continued as it was for a time so long it was better for the sufferer not to keep account of but eventually the Mongers saw their efforts bear results. Her face was still horrifically disfigured, large chunks of her flesh had still not been restored, her voice had fallen mute after years of abuse to her vocal chords and most wounds had been haphazardly sewn together, but the healers had decided what they had managed was enough for the body to resume its functions.

She was once again battle ready – or so they had wanted to believe – and reintroduced her to the deafening cries of the crowds that dearly missed her performances. She stood motionless within the middle of the ring, bent at the hips and knees so that her torso leaned slightly backwards and her shoulders slumped. Her pose was that of a reanimated corpse buckling under its own weight and she looked just as decayed as one. Her head lulled to one side as the gates on the other end of the grounds descended and her opponent stepped out under the pathetic light of the Stadium. It was another familiar face.

"I had dearly hoped to see you rot," her latest enemy, a female once beautiful now atrociously mutilated, clicked her graying tongue at her to which mangled Edenian could offer no response. Even if she still had her voice, she would not have had the strength to anyway when she finally recognized what remained of the opposing warrior's face: Tanya. "This world has been cruel to you, Kitana. Had it not been for the faded insignia on what remains of your robes, I would not have recognized you."

Tanya emitted a sound that was something along the lines of laughter and stalked the expanse between them to better judge her position. The Empress cared little for tactical advantage and instead eyed the gansen secured at her opponent's hips; the once forgotten Traitor made that strange sound that attempted to mock laughter again when she understood what exactly Kitana gazed at so intently. Tanya patted her pair of weapons triumphantly.

"Highly ranked fighters get to choose and carry their weapons outside the arena," she explained despite the fact the other woman held no interest in knowing how she got them in the first place. "I knew I had seen these before and waited long enough to get the chance to cut you down with them."

A hiss emitted from Kitana's throat; a vain attempt to ask for her fans back. It took her a moment to realize that Tanya would never have it in her mind to return the Empress's weapons back to her even if she could have spoken either way. The moment she understood her foolishness, a strange dread overcame her and it multiplied in intensity the longer she stood and watched the other woman stroke the iron fans with her skeletal fingers. Stricken with the sudden, inexplicable wave of grief, she reached out for her worn gansen. It only amused Tanya.

"How pathetic…" the woman taunted the oblivious Kitana, sliding the pair of sharp-edged fans from their harness and splaying them open as she took position. The Overseer's voice cracked above the jeers of the audience and he tossed into the Stadium an odd collection of weapons. The Empress's remaining eye tore itself away from the iron fans and settled its gaze upon a broken sword that pierced the earth right at her feet. Her only functioning hand grasped the worn hilt and pulled out a little over a foot of blunt steel. Tanya's grin widened at the barely human Kitana. "Now you shall entertain _me_ before I rip you apart inch by inch."

She lunged forward, closing the distance as swiftly as a swallow, the gansen in her right hand pivoting in her palm before she slashed out, the blade embedding itself in Kitana's flesh and staying there as the Traitor froze in her spot. Eyes wide and brows furrowed, she glared at the Empress before she averted her vision to the withered hand that gripped her wrist and kept the fan neatly tucked between Kitana's ribcage.

"What in…" the words drifted from her lips as she contemplated the sheer lunacy of the woman taking the near fatal blow. She leaned away and planted her foot onto Kitana's belly, freeing herself and causing the Empress to stumble from the force of the kick. She had expected her opponent to double over and fall dead in a pool of her blood and was bitterly disappointed to find her still standing, the little skin that remained intact around the right side of her face twisting as half a smile graced her. Contempt turned to shock when she saw the remnants of some otherworld sorcery flicker around the wound she gave Kitana and slowly hamper the profuse bleeding and repair torn muscle, tissue and skin.

She gave the weapon in her hand a quick glance and saw it shimmer a faded green before the blood stains and rust returned to the steel edge. She clenched her teeth, anger boiling beneath her ribs when realization struck her.

"Let's see if your witchcraft will save you when I cleave your head off!"

The Traitor eliminated the gap and swiped at her opponent's neck, a move powerful enough to cut through bone in one go but slow enough for Kitana to parry. They could not hear the clash of their weapons amidst the growing excitement of the crowd but managed to judge the strength with which either woman attacked to determine who had the upper hand. Trapped in a body far more vulnerable and far more weak than the other, the Empress eventually buckled under the force of a tremendous downward swing and fell upon her knees.

A kick to her face sent her tumbling over her head before she used the momentum to roll back onto her feet and stand to defend from a charging assault. But it was too little too late and she was sent back with a shoulder thrust together with an elbow to what remained of her jaw. The pain and shock grew immensely unbearable, newly healed wounds opening once more and the ones that were already exposed squirting out precious life-blood. She tried crying out to relieve some of her anguish, if only a little, but instead ended up internally cursing herself for rendering herself mute. She captured a glance of her war fans before another hook sent her head spinning and dearly missed them. She did not want them because they held enough of her residual sorcery to heal the most critical of her injuries but because she knew that if she died without the gansen in her hands, it would be a most unfulfilled death.

Tanya hissed as the Empress's broken sword left a gash in her thigh, fueling her hatred and rage further. She thrust one closed fan into Kitana's stomach and twisted the blade, pulling it out before the woman had time enough to absorb the fragments of her dark magic. She was seething despite not relenting on her assault; should she not just throw the fans away and select another weapon? She told herself she did not have a choice. If the gansen were not in her hands, the Empress would very likely swipe them during close-range combat. She slashed at her legs, two crimson trails appearing at Kitana's thighs before she fell to her knees yet again. Tanya whipped behind her and planted her foot on the back of her head, pushing down just so that Kitana faced the quickly pooling blood on the ground.

"Look at it, Kitana!" she bellowed. The downed woman placed her hands within the bloody patch to keep herself from falling over. She could make out a vague shape within the red puddle that quickly took the form of her reflection. What gazed back was nothing more than a mangled corpse with a single blue eye. She strangely did not find the image frightening even as Tanya vainly mocked the Empress for what the Netherrealm had reduced her to. "Look at it! Look at how far you have fallen before me!"

She slowly lifted her palms and turned them over to find them drenched in her blood and despair quickly overcame her. A memory surfaced from the deep recesses of her mind: her hands were supple yet they quivered with the red that stained them. She looked below at the blood that quickly pooled around her, a fragile body flopping like a fish out of water as the precious life fluid escaped the severed throat. The red reflection of the confused, frightened and blood-spattered visage of a woman flickered amidst the ripples.

She sucked in her breath and jerked herself upright, throwing Tanya back to a stumble before she could regain her balance.

"_Have you seen my mother?"_

A whisper escaped her where she could not scream and she held her head in her hands.

"_Show me all that he knows!"_

Tanya recoiled and dealt the fatal blow. It fell short of its promise when she realised the Edenian Royalty had caught her wrists and slowly rose to meet the Traitor's height.

"_And when she danced in her sorrow did the King of Dreams give her his blessings."_

Kitana reeled back and rammed her skull into the other woman's nose. She stumbled back, a pained gasp floating from her lips but the Empress did not relinquish her assault, tightening her grip and dislodging two of Tanya's teeth with another headbutt. Blood and saliva coated the deranged Edenian and Tanya cried out, her fingers losing their hold on the weapons and letting them tumble to the Earth. Kitana released her grasp and hurled a fist into the other's face, a low crack emanating that had been drowned out by the deafening roar of the spectators.

"_What have I left to believe in?!"_

The attack transformed into a flurry of quick jabs and hooks, too fast for the Traitor to read and too weak to allow her a swift defeat. Kitana's robes fluttered like a ragged flag in the wind as she turned and twisted, the assault taking the shape of a grotesque ballet.

"_I won't let you lose hope."_

She swept her foot across the earth, a cloud of dust trailing behind as she kicked up a dull-edged sword and plucked it out of the air before it fell. The woman swiped at her opponent, the steel cutting through Tanya's flesh so easily that it felt as if she were swinging it through the air, the Traitor's visage contorting into a frozen expression of horror. She lashed out again and again and again, stopping only when she felt as if an eternity had passed and she widened the distance to better observe the devastation. Realisation had registered on Tanya's face and a pained whimper escaped her before thin streaks of red became visible all across her body. In one moment, the upper half of her skull slowly slid off and fell into the dirt and in the next, large chunks of her torso and legs separated and collapsed.

"_As long as you want to be forgiven, I have no right to judge you for what you did in the past."_

Kitana whirled around and limped over to the fans that lay on the ground, fragments of ethereal energy skittering across the flat surface of the blades and seeping into her skin. She closed her eye and breathed in as remnants of her soul mended, the cheers of the crowd echoing in the far distance. The sound of shifting iron brought her out of her reverie and she cast a glance at the small group of Mongers that spilled in from the gateway.

She stepped away in a single motion that would have been graceful had she still retained her beauty. They charged at her but she had already retrieved the spear doused in the blood that spilled as a result of the many fights that occurred in that very Stadium. Stepping into a crack in the arena's boundaries, she propelled herself upward and used the momentum to race up the concrete's surface. The audience's once ecstatic cries turned into panicked screams as the woman permeated the barrier and found herself on the Overseer's landing. Awestruck and surprised, he was too late to react to the iron fan that swayed through the air and neatly parted his head from his shoulders.

Kitana caught the massive head before it toppled into the ring by the mane and darted up through the path the scurrying spectators made for her. Mongers tumbled over the escaping watchers as they made their way towards the escaping warrior and those unfortunate to have come close enough to her fell into two pieces before they even realized her blade had cut through their flesh. She was too fast, too swift. The energy she had regained from what was left in her dual-wield weapons was enough to restore the stamina, the strength and the adrenaline needed to be able to make her escape. The plans she had concocted and carefully laid out in the web of her mind bore fruit when they were finally realized.

Nightmarish creatures that filed in line for the next fight gave her confused looks as she pushed passed them, their murmurs accompanied by the shouts of the Mongers in the distance. The entryway to the Stadium arched above the excited newcomers – the woman did not stop to wonder how such a massive thing could have been built by the deranged denizens of this realm. The path sloped upward and the end glowed a slightly brighter shade of red than what she had seen for decades within the Bowl. A new wave of heat engulfed her as the City finally revealed itself to her, sweat quickly drenching her bloodstained clothes and making them stick to her body.

The City itself appeared to be without population, save for the tall, skeletal corpses that adorned worn armour and dotted every street. In the distance she spotted a massive metallic structure. It was a rusting torii that stood so tall that it pierced the sky; a gateway to and out of Nekros. Her speed did not falter as she ran through the streets, ignoring the annoyed grunts of the guards that she passed without giving so much as a glance yet they did not obstruct her path nor did they attack her, as if she was of very little interest to them.

She no longer heard the frenzied shouts of the Mongers that pursued her, leaving her to run through the stark silence that loomed within the suffocating air of Nekros. She kept racing towards the torii, bloody footprints staining the dusty lanes and a spear dangling from a broken chain at her hip.

* * *

"So what, he's just going to _talk_ them out of it?" she demanded, her voice mired in slight disbelief. The sun had begun to disappear beyond the horizon. The pace of time within Outworld was still something neither the Special Forces agent and nor the actor that gave her company were used to. Daylight – or what little the realm received of it – faded much too quickly and the black nights would linger for much too long. Flames cradled by the lanterns had been turned up to chase away the coming darkness. Shadows danced across her face, giving Johnny the illusion that she was much older than she actually was. She kept her lips pursed, silently entertaining whatever grim thought Cage was glad she was not intent on sharing.

He shuffled when the silence dragged on far too long yet he dared not to interrupt Sonya's train of thought. He too had already begun to contemplate the sheer lunacy of the Master to convince the victim's family to allow Li Mei amnesty. He wondered under what circumstances the family would pardon the culprit and what would it take. Did Bo' Rai Cho plan on bribing them? As far as Cage could remember, the Old Man had not brought along much of anything save for his student in tow when Fujin had sent them to the Outworld. He was not even sure if the large man's profession as a millennium-old martial arts instructor to the Earth's defenders was a job with pay in the first place.

Then what? Would Cho threaten the accusers? Johnny mentally shook his head when he used his firsthand experience of the Master's jolly laugh and paternal warmth to debunk that conclusion. But then again, he had also learned not to rule out the unpredictable. He had sincerely believed that Jade would take Mei's side given her loyalty to the Forces of Light and he was bitterly disappointed. Hell, that morning walk with the Student through the city's bustling marketplace ended in Johnny cradling a blood-drenched and confused Li Mei after she tore through the idiot that said she descended from a family of whores.

Murder was murder and there was no justification in that. Johnny averted his gaze from the floorboards to the sky beyond the window, the clouds beginning their transformation from purple to black. There was a clash within himself, between his sense of justice and his loyalty to a friend. The truth about what he hoped for and what he knew was right amplified the guilt. He began to understand why Jade had turned her back on them, understand her bravery when she made her decision.

"Everyone's so quiet…" he heard the woman murmur.

"Hmm?" he looked back at her with lifted brows. Had he been wearing his trademark sunglasses, the expression would have gone unnoticed. Sonya pushed away from the table she was leaning against and dug her teeth into her chapped lower lip. She had still not entirely emerged from her reverie and the colour from her face continued to drain, leaving her pale and aging her significantly.

"Cho still here?" she unknowingly evaded his question but he did not mind. Johnny finally decided that she was scared and felt it best not to prod her for what was going on in her head at the moment. Besides, everything that he had gone through to sort this mess had already taken a toll on him and he did not have the strength to share in someone else's grim interpretation of things. He shrugged in response and she nibbled at her lower lip again. He tried not to wince when a pinprick of blood surfaced. He had seen enough blood that morning.

She wiped it off when she tasted the tangy flavor of the drop of red fluid and motioned to Cage to follow her. He did so without uttering a single word.

There was only the click of their footwear against the floorboards and the grating of their breaths that resounded within the empty hallway. For the most part, they were quiet seeing as Sonya was not intent on sharing whatever it was that she kept scouring through in her mind. He could always goof off, say something absurdly stupid or crack a sexist joke to somehow bring her back to reality but held back only because he would not have the strength to face her wrath. She would not physically harm him, that he could be sure about, but he knew she would say something so excruciatingly painful that it would wipe the smile off his face. The empire of her mind was a brutal place and she had enough in her arsenal to leave him mentally exhausted.

He realized he had been holding his breath when the shadows finally lifted from her face. She was alive again and as young as his perception would allow it, much to his relief. And he knew why: they had reached the door to the Master's temporary quarters. The woman extended her hand for the wooden handle but fell short when her eyes fixed themselves upon something at her feet. The stitch of her brows deepened in pure bewilderment. Cage followed her line of sight and saw a sheet of frost coating the floor around the small crack underneath the door.

He too was puzzled.

The Major pushed at the door anyway but could only manage a small gap before something on the other side prevented it from swinging out any further. A rush of chilled air fell upon them, making their eyes slightly sting and their skin to tighten from the sudden change of temperature.

"Shit…" Blade muttered, assuming things for the worst as she pushed her weight against the door to widen the gap. Johnny paced back to allow the lean woman to squeeze herself through the crack and disappear into the room. It was not a moment later when she called out to him and the man instinctively pushed at the door which now swung with relative ease. As he stepped inside he saw a man garbed in blue and grey armor, frosted chill rising from his body that draped the walls of the room and the sparse furniture within it in icy blue.

"What happened-?" he had barely begun to ask but was cut short when Sonya slapped his hand away just short of reaching to check the splayed man's vitals. His eyes snapped to the woman, expecting an explanation but received none as she slipped her jacket off her shoulders and draping it over the unconscious Sub Zero's shoulders. She grasped the shoulders just as frost began to quickly accumulate on the jacket and pulled, trying to turn him over on his back. Her body jerked and she dispelled an annoyed grunt when the cold piercing through the jacket numbed her fingers. Johnny tried his luck but wound up the same as Blade.

"He's frozen to the floor," she muttered more to herself than to her compatriot. Johnny rose back onto his feet but the woman stayed him once again. The Special Forces Major was always a difficult woman to read during any given situation which resembled a crisis and just as the many times before they found themselves in tight matters, Cage could not tell what she wanted him to do. He expected the best course of action would be to fetch Nightwolf or maybe Kenshi, someone who knew what he was doing but the woman halted his efforts.

"Goong's already giving him trouble," Sonya muttered, moving to press the door shut so that anyone who just happened to walk through the corridor would not witness the Korii Warrior lying limp in a room frozen from the floorboards to the ceiling. She slipped her hands into the sleeves of her drab so that they would act as makeshift gloves. It took him a long time but the actor eventually figured out why she had kept him from touching the Lin Kuei with his unprotected fingers: the frost that accumulated upon the tough fabric of her uniform was the effect of Sub Zero's super-chilled form freezing anything that came into contact with him. He must have unknowingly dispensed so much of his power that he had turned the entire room into an icy cocoon.

He silently gazed down upon the still body of the Lin Kuei Warrior as Sonya crouched down low and dispelled her warm breath in attempt to melt the ice and pry off his mask to allow ease his oxygen intake. He had been sprawled across the floor, a hand outstretched towards the doorway. He had been struggling, against who or what, that remained a mystery but the action hero knew he had been desperate to clamber out of the room before he finally succumbed to oblivion. He did not concern himself with some elusive attacker targeting him or the Forces of Light. No. There were no signs of a brawl.

"_Christ_…!" he hissed as shock overcame him once the mask finally came loose. He heard Sonya whisper a curse before pushing herself away from the limp form and pressing a fist against her lips. Had it not been for the gentle rise and fall of the Lin Kuei's chest, Johnny would have easily mistaken him for a disfigured corpse. He moved away from the Ice Warrior, leaning against the ice-coated wall while he cradled his head, Sonya offering him a look that was no less bewildered than his own.

"God help him," he sighed, unable to tear his eyes away from Sub Zero's face.

* * *

Life energy surged though the structure in waves invisible to the eye, strong enough to reach out into the vast expanse and coax magicians and mages to their only sanctuary. That was how she was there, amidst the obelisks tinted with dark power and inscribed with ancient lyrics though she could not read but knew were carved by the first sorcerers. A yearning filled her when she first tasted the wisps of energy that could reach the farthest into the corrupted plains and they drew her to them. She felt the ethereal flame within her rekindle when she was finally amongst the structures. Patterns engraved the stone platform that housed the largest structure in the very middle. It was a single, perfect cuboid of pure black stone that stood at several meters in the air.

A Soul Stone.

Only dark magic could last within the Netherrealm and that just barely enough to leave a flicker behind. She had lost her greatest strength to the corroding influence of Hell and was left with only what could be utilized to survive the uninhabitable conditions of the realm. She would have been dead without her gansen and trapped forever without the allure of the Stone's power that reached out to her. There was no magic that maintained the energies of the Soul Stone – she could sense it. Blood, sacrifice and a god, history was woven within the invisible tendrils of energy and it all flashed before her eyes. The spirits of the first sinners and generations of corrupted blood strengthened the magic.

It was the purest of dark sorcery, the only form of sorcery that could survive. The Stone's knowledge flooded her senses and spoke of a curse: the curse of thousands upon thousands of sinners, the curse of their eternal punishment, the curse of living damnation. Turn away and she would die when left to her devices, but she would not be fed to Bedegi's fiercest fires. Take what the Stone offered her and she would live, but be forever damned while living or dead.

"I have sinned too much…" she rasped, dropping the Overseer's head at her feet before approaching the Stone. "I was damned the moment I was born…"

Unfathomable power surged through the palm she pressed against the cool surface of the Stone, instantly healing and regenerating what her mortal body had lost. She lurched back as it engulfed her, caressed her. Intoxicated, she closed her eyes and felt life being returned to her, sighing as the power took her over. The sorcery released its hold on her and her eyes fluttered open, the blue pools shimmering with an ethereal green. She slowly stood erect and cast a glance at her hands. Her left limb was fully restored and the marks left by that Ninja gently healed themselves. The wound in her palm mended itself and hideous greyish-black marks sprouted from the closing hole, spanning across her palm and travelling down to her arm. It spread across her body like a disease yet she did not falter – it was the mark of corruption, of the curse that now seized her soul.

A necessary sacrifice.

She smiled.

* * *

A/N: Hoo boy. How long since the last update? I think it around 6 months. Yeah I know, I don't expect anyone to appreciate that. Thanks so much to **Maximus Prime**, **en-lumine**, **Rai-San Fenix**, **Chuck**, **Obelisk of Light**, **Deity of Insanity**, **OMAC001**, **epicninjarusher** and **fandelivres** for considering this story worthy of their time to review. You guys keep me going.

And now to clear up a few things.

**Maximus Prime**: Its wasn't so much her allure as it was her being a defenseless woman and much less decayed one at that. The Netherrealm brings out the worst in its inhabitants (that's why they're there in the first place) and so to say, Rudu had an opportunity he could not miss.

**Chuck**: Did anyone wonder that if her kisses were that deadly, what would happen if someone banged her? I had lots of ideas and then a friend told me about this weird Japanese movie she saw where this guy rapes this girl and this froth starts spilling out of her that burns the dude's dick off. So to say, I was very inspired.

**Obelisk of Light**: Thank you. Raiden does have a role but unfortunately its not going to be as important as Fujin's role and the only reason I've planned it so is because I believe it was high time for the Thunder God to pass on the torch (even though he had no choice in the matter).


End file.
